The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it has identified over a million additional documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, warning that reviewing and releasing them to the public could take “a few more weeks.”
In a post on X, the department said it had been notified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI about the newly discovered documents.
“The DOJ has received these documents from SDNY and the FBI to review them for release, in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, existing statutes, and judicial orders,” the post stated.
“Lawyers are working around the clock to review and make legally required redactions to protect victims. We will release the documents as soon as possible. Given the volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks. The Department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files,” it added.
It is not yet clear how the additional documents were uncovered or what they contain. CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
The announcement follows a week of staggered releases mandated by a new transparency law passed by Congress last month. The department had already faced criticism for failing to release all documents by the December 19 deadline, though officials stressed that redactions were necessary to protect victims and address other legal concerns.
Even before the latest discovery, the Justice Department had been working to release all material in its possession. CNN reported Tuesday that department leadership requested volunteers in a South Florida prosecutor’s office to assist with redactions.
The department initially released a large trove of documents on the Friday deadline, followed by a smaller release early Saturday and another major drop on Tuesday, which included several notable references to former President Donald Trump.
Bipartisan lawmakers and an increasing number of Epstein survivors have criticized the administration’s handling of the documents. Questions have been raised about both heavy-handed redactions that shielded Epstein associates and under-redacted material exposing victim information.
After Wednesday’s revelation, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored the bipartisan bill with GOP Rep. Thomas Massie requiring the Justice Department to release Epstein files, said the pair would “continue to keep the pressure on.”
“After we said we are bringing contempt, the DOJ is now finding millions more documents to release,” Khanna wrote on X, adding, “The Epstein class must go.”
Massie reposted a video of former Attorney General Pam Bondi claiming in February that an Epstein client list was on her desk, though she was apparently referring to a broader file. “So what you’re saying is the files were never on @AGPamBondi’s desk like she claimed in this video?” Massie asked.
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called the withholding of over 1 million documents “outrageous” and said his committee wants to hear from whistleblowers or any DOJ personnel who could help deliver justice for survivors.
Frustration has also been growing within the White House, where the piecemeal release of files has prolonged coverage of a story the Trump administration has avoided addressing, forcing shifts in messaging.
Among the recently released documents were evidence that federal prosecutors had records of Trump flying on Epstein’s private plane in the 1990s and that the Justice Department subpoenaed Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club before the 2021 trial of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
One letter, allegedly from Epstein to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar, contained a lewd reference to Trump, but the Justice Department said Tuesday that handwriting analysis suggested the letter was partially fake. When questioned about including a questionable document, the DOJ’s X account responded sharply: “Because the law requires us to release all documents related to Jeffrey Epstein in our possession so that’s what we are doing, you dope. Are you suggesting we break the law?”
Trump has never been accused of involvement in Epstein’s crimes and denies wrongdoing.
Other documents released last week included previously unseen photos of former President Bill Clinton with Epstein—swimming with Maxwell and sitting in a hot tub with a redacted woman. Clinton has also never faced accusations in connection with Epstein. His spokesman, Angel Ureña, said: “There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first.”
The release of new documents from the Southern District of New York is not unexpected. That office prosecuted Epstein in 2019 and successfully brought sex-trafficking charges against Maxwell in 2021.
