Judge orders DOJ to either unredact more Epstein files or explain why it can't

A justice connected Thursday ordered the Justice Department to either merchandise unredacted versions of respective files connected the precocious enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein oregon explicate wherefore it can't bash so, pursuing a suit accusing Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche of improperly redacting documents.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan gave the government until Thursday, July 2, to comply.

The documents successful question see 8 emails with either the sender oregon recipient blacked out, a draught indictment of Epstein with the names of imaginable co-conspirators obscured and a 2019 email that mentions respective co-conspirators whose names were redacted. Sullivan besides ordered the Justice Department to either merchandise the interrogation notes down respective FBI documents summarizing unverified allegations against President Trump, oregon explicate wherefore it couldn't merchandise them.

The authorities was besides ordered to merchandise a log listing each redaction it has made to the files it has published connected Epstein, arsenic required by law.

The tribunal bid follows months of contention implicit the Justice Department's handling of the files, which were released successful effect to a national law. Millions of records person been made nationalist since December, including photos, emails and instrumentality enforcement documents from the national investigations into the disgraced financier and his 2019 decease successful pretrial custody.

Lawmakers and Epstein survivors person raised questions astir missing oregon heavy redacted records. The Justice Department has said lone astir fractional of the 6 cardinal pages of documents it collected connected Epstein would beryllium released, and galore of the released files are partially blacked out. The section has said the unreleased documents were either duplicates, unrelated to Epstein oregon protected by ineligible privilege.

One of the emails covered by Thursday's bid — successful which Epstein refers to a "torture video" — drew scrutiny earlier this year aft Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky questioned wherefore the recipient was blacked out. Blanche aboriginal suggested connected societal media the recipient was Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, erstwhile CEO of the Dubai-based logistics steadfast DP World. CBS News has antecedently reached retired to Sulayem for comment.

The section has defended its efforts, arguing the redactions are indispensable to support idiosyncratic accusation oregon victims' identities.

The Justice Department redacted the sanction of the recipient of this email released successful the Epstein files. U.S. Department of Justice

Thursday's tribunal ruling was spurred by a suit filed successful April by autarkic writer and ineligible commentator Katie Phang implicit the redactions, which she argues are a "brazen, shocking, and ongoing violation" of the national instrumentality mandating the merchandise of the Epstein files. She asked a judge to bid the merchandise of respective unredacted files.

The Justice Department responded earlier this period by arguing Phang cannot writer to unit the documents' merchandise due to the fact that the due recourse is for her to record a Freedom Of Information Act request. Phang's lawyers connected Wednesday pointed to denials of Epstein-related FOIA requests. The justice past directed the Justice Department to respond by 1 p.m. connected Thursday, and aft the section missed that deadline, helium ordered it to merchandise the documents Phang had requested.

In a 48-page opinion, Sullivan concluded that Phang had the close to writer implicit unreleased files and was apt to prevail. He besides said FOIA "does not supply an capable remedy."

The Justice Department requested earlier this period that Sullivan intermission immoderate bid successful Phang's favour for astatine slightest 7 days to springiness the authorities clip to determine whether to appeal. Sullivan denied that petition connected Thursday.

CBS News has reached retired to the Justice Department for comment.

Phang's attorney, Brendan Ballou, told CBS News: "The authorities thought that it could disregard its ain instrumentality and stroke disconnected a judge's order, each for the involvement of protecting the precise almighty and the precise rich. It didn't work, and present the nationalist volition yet get transparency astir Jeffrey Epstein and his network."