On Monday, former MSNBC host Katie Phang filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asking the court to compel acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to release the entire Jeffrey Epstein files.
According to Phang, a former prosecutor turned legal analyst at MSNBC (now MS NOW) the DOJ has illegally withheld files and has redacted documents that have been released, denying journalists the ability to delve more deeply into the disgraced felon's contacts and financial ties.
The suit names Blanche as the defendant in his capacity at his new job, having replaced fired AG Pam Bondi.
As journalist Scott McFarlane wrote on Substack, “In the 15-page lawsuit, attorney Brendan Ballou argued the Justice Department has not followed the requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a 2025 law which required the release of the files. The suit argued the Justice Department is unlawfully withholding records from Phang and other journalists, including through a series of redactions of files.”
In the filing, Ballou explained to the court, “The Department of Justice has failed to produce the required documents within the time required. It has improperly redacted documents and failed to adequately explain those redactions. And it has either retracted, or failed to produce entirely, documents that should have been produced. All of this facially violates the law.”
The filing also drags Donald Trump into the mix, asserting, “The Department improperly failed to produce documents referring to Donald Trump, retracted previously produced materials that showed or referred to Trump, and improperly redacted documents that referred to him. The Department failed to produce documents relating to Trump that other sources confirm exist.”
The lawsuit also asks the court to appoint a special master to oversee compliance with the law.
Phang, now a podcaster, issued a statement explaining, "As a journalist, it’s my job to find the truth and hold powerful people accountable when they break the law. Survivors and the wider American public deserve answers.”
