A portrait of Jeffrey Epstein appears on a tablet screen next to a page on the U.S. Department of Justice website titled “Epstein Library, February 11, 2026.”
Véronique Tournier | AFP | Getty Images
The Justice Department’s internal watchdog agency announced Thursday that it is investigating the agency’s compliance with laws requiring full disclosure of department files on notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The audit by the Office of Inspector General comes after months of complaints that the Justice Department was failing to comply with the Epstein File Transparency Act by withholding many files it had on Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Our interim objective is to evaluate the process by which the Department of Justice identifies, compiles, and releases records held by the Department as required by law,” Deputy Inspector General William Breyer said in a statement.
“If the circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider addressing other issues that may arise during the audit,” Breier said.
“Once the work is complete, the OIG will issue a public report with the findings of the audit,” he said.
Congress passed the Epstein Files Act in November, months after then-Attorney General Pam Bondi reneged on a promise to release the Justice Department’s investigative files on Epstein.
Epstein, a former friend of President Donald Trump, committed suicide in a federal prison in New York City in August 2019, weeks after being arrested on child sex trafficking charges.
President Trump reportedly fired Bondi on April 2, dissatisfied with the attorney general’s response to issues related to the Epstein file.
This is breaking news. Please refresh to check for updates.
