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By Gabe Whisnant
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Several lawmakers reviewed unredacted Jeffrey Epstein case files Monday at a Justice Department office in Washington, as members of Congress offered new public comments about individuals they say may have played roles in the sex trafficking scheme.
Under an agreement with the Justice Department, lawmakers were given limited access to more than 3 million pages of documents released to comply with a law passed by Congress last year. The files were made available in a secure reading room equipped with four computers. Lawmakers were allowed to take handwritten notes but could not bring staff members into the room.
Lawmakers React to Unredacted Epstein Files
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who sponsored the legislation requiring the files’ release, said he identified six men he described as “likely incriminated” after reviewing the unredacted documents. Massie called on the Justice Department to pursue accountability and said he could potentially name the individuals during a House floor speech, where lawmakers are shielded from civil lawsuits.
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Democrats have also accused the department of withholding information that should have been made public, including details that could subject Epstein’s associates to further scrutiny.
Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, also said they encountered files that remained partially redacted, which they attributed to redactions made earlier by the FBI. Khanna said the documents reinforce that Epstein did not act alone.
“It wasn’t just Epstein and Maxwell,” he said, referring to Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, spent several hours reviewing the records Monday morning. He told reporters that the sheer volume of material would take months to fully examine.
“Even if all the House members who triggered the release spent every waking hour over there, it would still take us months to get through all of those documents,” Raskin said.
Ghislaine Maxwell Wants Clemency from Donald Trump
Meanwhile, Maxwell declined to answer questions from House lawmakers during a deposition Monday, invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, but said through her attorney that she would be willing to testify if President Donald Trump were to grant her clemency.
The House Oversight Committee had sought to question Maxwell by video from the federal prison camp in Texas where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking connected to Epstein. Maxwell has faced renewed scrutiny as lawmakers examine how Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier, was able to abuse underage girls for years.
What Happens Next
Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are preparing to question Attorney General Pam Bondi at a hearing Wednesday, where they are expected to press her on how the Justice Department handled the release. Lawmakers and attorneys for survivors have criticized the department for failing to adequately redact sensitive personal information, including the release of nude photographs of victims.
“Over and over we begged them, please be careful,” said Jennifer Freeman, an attorney representing Epstein survivors. “The damage has already been done.”
The release of the files has triggered political fallout abroad, including in the United Kingdom, where revelations about ties between Epstein and prominent figures have intensified scrutiny. But Democratic lawmakers said similar consequences have yet to materialize in the United States.
“I worry that people have become so conditioned to chaos that we’re not taking this as seriously as we should,” Raskin said.
Updates: 2/9/26, 7:48 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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