'Highly abnormal': CNN legal expert flags 'huge loophole' in Epstein law Trump signed
Donald Trump, Melania Trump and Mohammed bin Salman arrive for a dinner. REUTERS/Tom Brenner
November 19, 2025
CNN legal expert Elie Honig flagged what he described as a "huge loophole" in the bill President Donald Trump just signed to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Trump announced late Wednesday night that he signed the Epstein Transparency Act, a bill that was sent to his desk with support from a veto-proof majority of lawmakers. The bill requires the government to release the records within 30 days, but Honig noted there is some language tucked into the legislation that could allow the administration to continue to stall.
Honig discussed the loopholes on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."
"All of this is highlyabnormal," Honig said. "In a regular case, DOJ would never justopen up its files like this."
"One really importantthing I want people tounderstand, though, is that there's ahuge loophole in the law itselfthat President Trump just signedand that says that DOJ does nothave to make public anymaterials relating to ongoingcriminal investigations," he continued.
"Andwhat that means is it's going tobe up to Pam Bondi, ToddBlanche, and Kash Patel," he added. "If theywant to say, 'Well, that relatesto some ongoing investigation,'it will be redacted or it willbe left out, and we will not seethat."