Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) have formally requested that U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer appoint a special master to supervise the Department of Justice's (DOJ) release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter addressed to Judge Engelmayer, the lawmakers expressed concerns regarding the DOJ's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which they co-authored. This legislation mandates that the federal government produce relevant files by December 19, with limited exceptions primarily aimed at protecting the privacy of victims.

The lawmakers noted that the DOJ failed to meet the December deadline, releasing only a portion of the required documents on that date, with additional materials disclosed in the following weeks. A DOJ court filing from January 5 indicated that approximately 12,285 documents, totaling around 125,575 pages, had been produced. However, the DOJ claimed that over 2 million documents potentially responsive to the Act were still under review, with estimates suggesting that more than 5 million pages could be involved.

Khanna and Massie raised concerns about the accuracy of these figures, suggesting that the DOJ may have exaggerated the volume of documents to create the impression that compliance is unmanageable, thereby delaying full disclosure. They criticized the DOJ for applying extensive redactions that they argue are inconsistent with the Act's stipulations against withholding or redacting records to protect politically exposed individuals.

The lawmakers characterized the DOJ's actions as a serious violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, emphasizing that such behavior has caused additional trauma to survivors. They expressed a lack of trust in the DOJ's ability to fulfill its mandatory disclosure obligations under the Act.

To address these issues, Khanna and Massie proposed the appointment of a special master or independent monitor to ensure that all documents and electronically stored information are made public in accordance with the Act. They requested that this individual be empowered to inform the court about the true nature and extent of the document production and to investigate any improper redactions or conduct by the DOJ. They also called for the court to compel testimony from DOJ officials knowledgeable about the document production process.

In a separate context, House Democrats are initiating impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following a fatal shooting incident involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Representative Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) announced her intention to file articles of impeachment, citing obstruction of Congress and violation of public trust. This action reflects widespread public outrage regarding the Trump administration's immigration enforcement strategies, which have been criticized for increasing federal presence in cities governed by Democrats, leading to heightened fear and violence among local populations. Other Democratic representatives have joined in this effort, expressing their discontent with the administration's actions. The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly responded to these impeachment calls.