U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives for a briefing for the House of Representatives on the situation in Venezuela, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump's Department of Justice left out a pivotal detail in its latest update on efforts to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to a new report.
The Department of Justice sent a letter on Tuesday to judges Richard M. Berman and Paul A. Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York updating them on the department's efforts to release the Epstein files, Politico's Kyle Cheney reported. DOJ said in its letter that it "continues to make substantial progress" on reviewing the files, including making redactions and other efforts to protect survivors. However, the DOJ added that it does not know when the process will conclude.
"The Department currently expects that it will complete these processes with respect to substantially all of the potentially responsive documents, including publication to the Epstein Library website, in the near term," the letter reads in part.
"The Department is not able to provide a specific date at this time and cautions that its ongoing processes, including its quality control checks and document management system preparations, may require additional efforts to ensure the protection of victim-identifying information while complying with the broad demands of the Act," it added.
Last year, Congress passed a law requiring the DOJ to release all of the Epstein files in its possession by December 19. The deadline came and went without the DOJ releasing more files.