Full Breakdown
U.S. Justice Department Accused of Ignoring European Requests in Epstein File Investigations
9/10/2026, 2:38:26 AM
Core Event: Stalled Mutual Legal Assistance Requests
European law-enforcement agencies say the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has not answered formal requests for documents and testimony from the Jeffrey Epstein files. Requests from Poland, Norway, Latvia and the United Kingdom remain unanswered, drawing criticism from foreign officials and U.S. members of Congress.
Background & Context
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by President Donald Trump, required the release of more than three million pages of material related to Epstein. The DOJ published the files in a secure facility, but most pages are heavily redacted. The disclosures have prompted investigations abroad into possible links between Epstein, his associates and foreign actors.
Key Figures & Groups
- President Donald Trump – signed the Transparency Act.
- Department of Justice – custodian of the released files and respondent to mutual-legal-assistance (MLA) requests.
- Donald Tusk – Poland’s prime minister, who announced a probe into possible Epstein-Russian intelligence connections.
- Marianne Bender – Norway’s Økokrim prosecutor, seeking DOJ cooperation.
- Simona Gravite – Latvia’s state police spokesperson, awaiting a response.
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) – co-author of the Transparency Act, critical of DOJ redactions.
- Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) – co-author of the Transparency Act.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) – top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
- Todd Blanche – Deputy Attorney General, defended the DOJ’s redaction practices.
Official Statements & Responses
The DOJ declined to comment on the status of specific MLA requests, a standard response noted in multiple reports.
Criticism & Opposition
- European officials: Marianne Bender said the DOJ “has not at this time approved the request,” calling the silence “very unfortunate” for Norway’s investigation.
- U.S. lawmakers: Rep. Jamie Raskin described “tons of completely unnecessary redactions” and said the failure to redact victims’ names is “troubling.” Rep. Thomas Massie accused the government of “withholding over three million files” and urged legislation to force DOJ compliance.
Data & Statistics
- The DOJ released more than three million pages of Epstein-related material.
- Redactions affect both victim and non-victim names; the DOJ has publicly unredacted the name of Les Wexner, which appears “thousands of times” in the files.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The DOJ’s public statement asserts a willingness to cooperate, yet European agencies claim they have received no response to formal MLA requests. Media reports differ on whether the DOJ has “refused” assistance or simply “has not yet approved” the requests. No timeline for future cooperation has been provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are in communication with officials from the Department of Justice, but they have not at this time approved the request,” — Marianne Bender
- “So, I went over there, and I was able to determine, at least, I believe, that there were tons of completely unnecessary redactions in addition to the failure to redact the names of victims, and so that's troubling to us,” — Rep. Jamie Raskin
- “The government continues to withhold over three million files,” — Rep. Thomas Massie
