Bipartisan fury erupts as lawmakers accuse the Justice Department of shielding powerful figures in the Jeffrey Epstein case with heavy redactions and withheld files, the LA Times reported. 

Both Democrats and Republicans are slamming the Justice Department for an incomplete release of documents tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, alleging non-compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act and threatening impeachment against U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender, faced accusations of abusing hundreds of women and girls before his death in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Bipartisan Outrage Over Redacted Epstein Files

Years of speculation about Epstein’s powerful connections—including his past friendship with President Trump—have fueled public demand for transparency, yet the Friday document dump left many questions unanswered.

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum criticized the release as insufficient, pointing to excessive redactions and missing files, including a reported image of Trump from Epstein’s home.

Justice Department and White House officials insist they’ve followed the law, claiming redactions were solely to protect victims, but that explanation isn’t cutting it for many on Capitol Hill.

Impeachment Threats Loom for Bondi

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), a key author of the transparency act, has accused Bondi of denying records’ existence for months before delivering what he calls “an incomplete release with too many redactions.”

Khanna and co-sponsor Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) aren’t just venting frustration—they’re drafting articles of impeachment against Bondi and exploring legal actions to force more disclosures.

Let’s be real: when both sides of the aisle agree on something, it’s either a miracle or a massive scandal, and this smells like the latter.

Politically Exposed Names Hidden?

Late Friday, Fox News Digital reported that names of politically exposed individuals were redacted, a move that would violate the law’s intent, though the Justice Department flatly denies this claim.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) didn’t hold back, stating, “The whole point was NOT to protect the ‘politically exposed individuals and government officials.’” Her frustration echoes the MAGA call to drain the swamp, not shield the elite.

If protecting victims was the goal, why does it feel like the powerful are the ones getting the shield?

Victims and Lawmakers Demand Answers

Victims like Alicia Arden, who reported abuse by Epstein to police in 1997, feel let down by the limited release, calling it another insult to survivors.

With Trump’s name appearing over 1,000 times in related documents released earlier by the House Oversight Committee, suspicions linger about what’s being hidden and why—though Trump denies any wrongdoing.

This isn’t about partisan witch hunts; it’s about truth for survivors and accountability for those who might have turned a blind eye to Epstein’s monstrous acts.