The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced on April 23, 2026, that it will conduct an audit to assess the department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The law, signed by former President Donald Trump in November 2025, required the Justice Department to release all files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days. The department failed to meet this deadline, sparking bipartisan criticism and calls for independent review.
The OIG’s audit will focus on the Justice Department’s processes for identifying, collecting, redacting, and releasing records responsive to the statute. It will also examine the criteria used to withhold or redact certain materials and evaluate the department’s procedures for managing public dissemination concerns following the release. A public report will be issued after the audit concludes.
Initially, the Justice Department provided a partial release within the 30-day timeframe but did not disclose the full extent of records required. Days later, it published a larger set exceeding 11,000 files containing photos, court documents, emails, news clippings, videos, and other materials. On January 30, 2026, then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the release of more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related records, describing it as the final disclosure.
Blanche indicated that while the department collected over 6 million pages in response to the law, portions were withheld to protect survivors’ sensitive information and ongoing investigations. He denied any political influence in the release process, stating the department complied with the statute and did not protect or target any individuals.
Since then, a CBS News analysis found that the Justice Department has removed approximately 47,000 files, totaling about 65,500 pages, from its online public repository. Links to these files now generate “page not found” errors, fueling concerns among Epstein survivors and members of Congress about the department’s handling of the disclosures.
Leading lawmakers behind the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and Republican Representative Thomas Massie, have urged for an independent review of the Justice Department’s management of the records. Epstein survivors and congressional Democrats also requested the Inspector General investigate potential tampering with the documents.
Separately, President Trump recently nominated Don Berthiaume, a career government attorney serving as the department’s acting inspector general, to become the permanent Justice Department Inspector General. Berthiaume assumed the acting role in late 2025 amid ongoing scrutiny of the Epstein files release.
Why it matters
The Justice Department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act is closely monitored due to the sensitivity of the case and public demand for accountability. The audit seeks to clarify whether the department fulfilled its legal obligations to disclose information about Epstein and Maxwell comprehensively and transparently. It also addresses survivors’ rights and congressional oversight concerns regarding possible withholding or alteration of materials.
Background
Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell, his associate, was later convicted of related crimes. The Epstein Files Transparency Act, enacted in November 2025, mandated the Justice Department to release all relevant investigative and prosecutorial records to enhance public transparency. The department’s multi-stage release process, including substantial redactions and subsequent file removals, has been criticized for lack of clarity and completeness.
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