A federal judge issued a blunt warning to Trump Justice Department lawyers this week, making clear his patience with stonewalling over the Epstein files is running thin.
Senior U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan didn't mince words during Thursday's public hearing, All Rise News reported — reminding the courtroom of his history of holding government attorneys in contempt during a previous high-profile corruption case involving the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK).
"That isn't a threat. That's a promise," Sullivan said.
The hearing centered on a lawsuit from journalist Katie Phang, who won a major victory in June when Sullivan ruled she suffered "informational injury" from the government's refusal to release Epstein-related files, giving her legal standing to sue as a reporter. Her attorneys are now asking Sullivan to hold DOJ in contempt for continuing to withhold documents, including handwritten FBI interview notes with a woman who alleges President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein abused her as a minor.
DOJ attorney Andrew Block repeatedly cited victim privacy protections to justify the delays, but Sullivan wasn't satisfied, at one point telling Block flatly that he wanted actual documentation, not vague assurances.
"I'm just looking for corroboration. I'm just looking for evidence," Sullivan said.
Phang's attorney, Emily Gilman, pushed back on the government's privacy justification directly, arguing DOJ's real motive was simpler.
"They just don't want to produce those documents," Gilman said.
Sullivan grew visibly frustrated when Block couldn't provide even a rough timeline for when the government would publish its legal justifications for withholding records.
"The public demands a time-frame — not just me," Sullivan said.
The judge deliberately kept the hearing public rather than sealed, saying both the public and Epstein's victims "have a right to know what the hell is going on in this case" — with the result that the phone line was flooded to capacity and many callers were prevented from connecting.
