A pair of US lawmakers have threatened legal action against US Attorney General Pam Bondi, after her deadline to release all government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was met only in part.
The release of the Department of Justice (DoJ) documents was highly anticipated but, in the end, only a portion of the available material was made public.
A leading campaigner on the issue, Republican congressman Thomas Massie, said he could try to bring contempt proceedings against the attorney general as a result.
The DoJ insists it is complying with its legal obligations, and Bondi herself has said she is part of the most transparent administration in American history.
The phrase Epstein files refers to the trove of information amassed by the US justice department during its two criminal investigations into Epstein.
A law compelling the release was signed by US President Donald Trump in November, following pressure from his supporters and members of his own party. The deadline for the material release was Friday.
While some documents were released, many were heavily redacted, disappointing Massie and his allies, along with survivors of Epstein's abuse. Trump has not yet commented on the release.
The DoJ stated that more material will be made available in the weeks to come.
However, during an interview on CBS's Face the Nation, Massie suggested that the justice department is flouting the spirit and the letter of the law.
He stated, The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi, and that doesn't require going through the courts.
Massie noted that he and Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna are in talks and drafting the necessary documents for the contempt action.
Khanna elaborated, stating, We're building a bipartisan coalition, and it would fine Pam Bondi for every day that she's not releasing these documents. They believe this measure would only need support from the House of Representatives.
Bondi's deputy, Todd Blanche, dismissed the threats from Congress during an interview on NBC, asserting that they are complying with the statute. He mentioned the vast number of documents involved and expressed that they are still processing many files.
Another prominent Democrat, Senator Tim Kaine, mentioned that contempt or impeachment efforts seem premature but hinted at using other legislative tools to ensure compliance.
Recently, files related to Epstein that were earlier released were temporarily taken down due to concerns but were reinstated after adjustments.
