A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Justice to either disclose additional unredacted records tied to Jeffrey Epstein or provide a legal explanation for keeping parts of those documents hidden, marking a significant development in the ongoing battle over public access to the case.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled Thursday that the department must comply by July 2. His order requires officials to release more complete versions of several records or explain why the information cannot legally be made public.
Among the documents covered by the ruling are eight emails with either the sender or recipient concealed, a draft indictment that removes the names of potential co-conspirators, and a 2019 email referencing several alleged co-conspirators whose identities were also blacked out. Sullivan also directed the Justice Department to release the interview notes that support several FBI documents summarizing unverified allegations involving President Donald Trump, or explain why those records cannot be disclosed.
The court further instructed the department to produce a detailed log identifying every redaction made in the Epstein files already released, a requirement under federal law.
The decision follows months of criticism surrounding the government’s handling of millions of records connected to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in federal pretrial custody in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges. Since December, authorities have released photographs, emails, investigative records and other documents under a federal disclosure law.
Questions have continued to grow from lawmakers and Epstein survivors over documents that remain unavailable or heavily redacted. The Justice Department has maintained that only about half of the roughly six million pages collected during its investigation will be released. According to the department, the remaining records are duplicates, unrelated to Epstein, or protected by legal privilege.
One email highlighted in Thursday’s ruling attracted particular attention earlier this year after Epstein referred to a “torture video.” Members of Congress questioned why the recipient’s identity had been concealed. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and GOP Rep.
Thomas Massie of Kentucky publicly challenged the redaction. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche later suggested on social media that the recipient was Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the former CEO of Dubai-based logistics company DP World. CBS News previously sought comment from Sulayem.
Justice Department officials have defended the redactions, arguing they are necessary to protect victims’ identities and sensitive personal information.
Related: Senate Democrats Push $25 Minimum Wage Plan as Cost of Living Pressures Grow
The legal dispute began in April when independent journalist and legal commentator Katie Phang sued the department, alleging officials had violated the federal law governing the release of the Epstein files by withholding information without proper justification. Her lawsuit described the government’s actions as a “brazen, shocking, and ongoing violation” of that law and asked the court to order the release of several unredacted documents.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department argued that Phang lacked the legal authority to bring the lawsuit, saying she should instead pursue the records through the Freedom of Information Act. Phang’s legal team responded by pointing to previous denials of Epstein-related FOIA requests.
After directing the department to respond by 1 p.m. Thursday and receiving no timely filing, Sullivan ordered the government to release the requested documents.
In his 48-page opinion, Sullivan found that Phang had standing to challenge the government’s handling of the unreleased records and concluded she was likely to succeed in her case. He also wrote that FOIA “does not provide an adequate remedy.”
The Justice Department had also asked the court to delay any ruling in Phang’s favor for at least seven days while officials considered whether to appeal. Sullivan rejected that request.
