The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has disclosed that there are 5.2 million pages of Epstein files remaining for assessment and they require the assistance of 400 lawyers from four different department offices until late January, as stated in a government document examined by Reuters on Tuesday. This development suggests that the final release of the documents will likely be delayed well beyond the initial expectation following a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress.
The White House and the Justice Department did not respond immediately to Reuters’ requests for comments. The Trump administration instructed the Justice Department to release the files connected to criminal investigations of Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier and convicted sex offender who had ties with U.S. President Donald Trump in the 1990s. This action was taken in accordance with a transparency law recently passed by Congress.
The document indicated that the Criminal Division, the National Security Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan are contributing 400 attorneys for the file review process, a more specific and potentially larger number than previously estimated. The review is scheduled to take place in January.
Incentives such as telework options and time off awards are being offered by department leaders to encourage volunteers, with lawyers expected to dedicate three to five hours daily to review approximately 1,000 documents per day. Last week, the DOJ announced the discovery of over a million additional documents possibly linked to Epstein.
The released documents have been heavily redacted so far, causing frustration among some Republicans and failing to mitigate a scandal that poses a threat to the party leading up to the 2026 midterm elections. Despite Trump’s efforts to keep the documents sealed, a law approved by Congress with broad bipartisan support mandates the public release of all Epstein-related files. These documents were slated to be released by Dec. 19 with redactions to safeguard victims.
It is known that Trump and Epstein were acquainted socially in the 1990s and early 2000s. Trump has stated that their association ended in the mid-2000s and that he was unaware of Epstein’s misconduct. Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution. The Justice Department charged him with sex trafficking in 2019. Epstein’s death in 2019 in a New York prison was ruled a suicide.
A recent statement by the Justice Department on X noted, “We have attorneys working tirelessly to review and redact the documents as required by law to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible. Due to the extensive volume of material, this process may require a few more weeks.”