The U.S. Department of Justice has declined to release additional records from the Jeffrey Epstein files, arguing that the withheld material either contains sensitive information identifying victims or was lawfully redacted, despite a court order requiring further disclosure or an explanation for the omissions. Get today's headlines by email In a filing submitted on Thursday, Associate U.S. Attorney General Stanley Woodward asked the court to either extend the deadline for producing the records by 60 days or accept the department's explanation for why certain documents should remain withheld. The filing came shortly before a court-imposed deadline set by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who had ordered the department to provide additional records or justify its decision not to release them. DOJ cites victim privacyWoodward said the Justice Department disagrees with the court's conclusion that the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) can be enforced by private parties through the Administrative Procedure Act. However, he said the department was using the opportunity to clarify why some documents had not been disclosed. According to the filing, several emails had identifying information removed to protect the identities of victims. Woodward said parts of one email were also withheld because communications written by victims could appear misleading or disturbing if viewed without the surrounding context. The department also addressed a redacted draft indictment from 2007 prepared by the Southern District of Florida. Woodward said the redactions were already present in the copy obtained by the Justice Department and that officials had been unable to locate an unredacted version of that particular document. Interview notes remain withheldThe filing also explained why handwritten interview notes linked to a woman who made unsubstantiated assault allegations against President Donald Trump had not been released. Woodward said the handwritten notes duplicated information contained in typed interview reports that have already been disclosed. He added that the handwritten format made it more difficult to carry out redactions and increased the risk of accidentally revealing victims' personally identifiable information. The allegations made by the woman have not been corroborated, and Trump has denied them. While the Justice Department has released typed summaries from some interviews, it has not published the underlying handwritten notes. Court challenge continuesWoodward also rejected Judge Sullivan's suggestion that the department had effectively acknowledged violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act by withholding records. He wrote that the department had neither knowingly breached the law nor admitted doing so, maintaining that it continues to comply with its statutory obligations. Last week, Sullivan dismissed the department's arguments against releasing the additional records. He also found that the Public Integrity Project, a public interest law firm, had demonstrated that journalist Katie Phang was harmed by the withholding of the materials. The Justice Department began publishing thousands of pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein late last year following the enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. However, the release process has drawn criticism from some lawmakers, who argue that the department failed to disclose all required records and did not meet statutory deadlines. Join the discussion? Already a member? Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 3 July 2026
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