Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said Tuesday that the Government Accountability Office has launched an investigation into the Justice Department’s handling of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including decisions made in “reviewing, redacting and releasing the Epstein files.”
The investigation comes after a group MPs sent letter The independent watchdog charged that the DOJ has failed to follow the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in November.
Lawmakers argued that the Justice Department violated the law by publishing email addresses and nude photos of both publicly identified and non-publicly identified victims while redacting the identifying information of alleged co-conspirators and material witnesses.
At least one Epstein victim is suing the Justice Department and Google for “wrongful disclosure and republication” of victims’ identifying information in the files.
Legislators asked GAO to investigate how the cuts were determined, including how many staffers were assigned to review files before and after they were signed into law; any political appointees involved in the “final” approval of the DOJ cuts; and any political appointee who played a role in the removal of the published Epstein records from the DOJ’s website.
“This horrific scandal is one where powerful, wealthy men groomed, abused and raped young women, men and children,” the lawmakers’ March letter said. “It is important to understand that DOJ failed to re-victimize those individuals by redacting information about victims and their alleged abusers in violation of the Epstein File Transparency Act.”
According to a letter from the agency reviewed by POLITICO, GAO responded to lawmakers on March 18 by agreeing to conduct the investigation, but saying it would not have the staff to begin for several months.
A spokesperson for the agency confirmed the investigation but added that there is no estimate at this time when the investigation will conclude.
“The first thing GAO does after accepting the job is determine what we will cover and determine the full scope of the methodology that will be used,” the spokesperson said.
Merkley called the investigation an “important step” toward accountability.
“By illegally disregarding the law, the Trump Administration is cruelly denying all of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims ‘equal justice under the law,'” Markle said in a statement. “This independent investigation is an important step toward holding this administration accountable for favoring the rich and powerful while helping hide the abuses of our most vulnerable.”
The Justice Department has released nearly 3.5 million pages of documents about its investigation into Epstein, though it did so more than a month after the legal release deadline. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch has since said that all documents related to Epstein have been released.
Trump has repeatedly called the controversy surrounding the deceased financier – including his relationship with Epstein – a Democratic “hoax” and urged Americans to “move on” from the topic.
The White House and DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The GAO investigation is the second announced this month. Last week, the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General announced it would investigate DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
GAO said it would also “remain in contact with the Office of Inspector General to ensure we are not duplicating efforts.”
