Topline
Senate Democrats want an audit of the federal government’s files on Jeffrey Epstein to make sure the Trump administration didn’t tamper with any files before they’re released to the public, sending a letter to the Justice Department’s inspector general Thursday to help relieve concerns about potential “contamination, tampering, or concealment” of the Epstein files.
Now-President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 12, 2000.
Getty Images
Key Facts
The Trump administration must release the federal government’s full documents on Epstein by Dec. 19—with limited redactions to protect victims’ identities—after Congress passed a law that mandates the files’ release within 30 days of the bill becoming law.
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter Thursday to the DOJ’s acting inspector general asking for their “assistance in ensuring public trust and transparency” in the files, by conducting an audit into the forms documenting how the files were handled by DOJ officials.
The lawmakers want the inspector general to audit “chain of custody” forms that document who had custody of a particular piece of evidence, any “testing or analysis” that was performed on the evidence and how it was either stored or disposed of.
Democrats want a report by Jan. 19 that documents any potential “irregularities” in the chain of custody forms and how many individuals and agencies had access to the Epstein files, after public reports indicate approximately 1,000 FBI officials were previously tasked with reviewing the files.
The review “would help allay questions about the integrity of the Epstein files and provide needed answers about the government’s handling of Epstein-related evidence,” Democrats argued, noting past comments by a federal judge accusing the Trump administration of giving “misleading portrayals” of the files.
The DOJ’s inspector general office has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Crucial Quote
Chain of custody forms help ensure “that questions concerning contamination, tampering, or concealment do not arise,” the Democrats wrote in their letter Thursday. “We trust that such issues are rare at the FBI … However, in the context of the Epstein files, political interference in the review and release of the files, and public reporting about the large number of individuals who already participated in redacting the files, additional information is required to satisfy public confidence in DOJ’s handling of this matter.”