Judicial Watch Sues Trump’s DOJ Over Withheld Epstein Files
President Trump’s Department of Justice is being sued by political watchdog Judicial Watch over withholding records relating to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, potentially violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The lawsuit, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on April 8, 2025, comes amid growing concerns about why the full Epstein files have not yet been released.
The suit also accuses the DOJ of unlawfully withholding records, leading many to believe that other forces are preventing a full public release.
Judicial Watch has submitted multiple FOIA requests to the Office of Information Policy, the Criminal Division, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the FBI.
Judicial Watch’s FOIA requests include the following:
- All communications between AG Bondi and others related to lists of Epstein’s clients.
- All DOJ records related to Epstein’s activities and his death in 2019.
- All FBI records and communications about Epstein and discussions regarding disclosure of his associates.
- All communications involving FBI Director Kash Patel related to the handling or potential release of the Epstein list.
However, the DOJ has allegedly stonewalled every effort to secure transparency, which ultimately forced Judicial Watch to file the lawsuit for compliance.
READ: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Accuses AG Pam Bondi of ‘Stonewalling’ Epstein List, JFK Files Release
Per the press release:
“Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department after it failed to adequately respond to four separate FOIA requests for records concerning Jeffrey Epstein, including a specific request for records ‘depicting the identities of clients or associates of Jeffrey Epstein.’ Epstein document requests were sent to the Justice Department’s Office of Information Policy, the Criminal Division, and two separate requests were sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Judicial Watch lawsuit references a February 24, 2025, Fox News report, which states that President Trump’s ‘return to the Oval Office came with the prospect of the public finally being able to see Epstein’s long-awaited “black book” amid inquiries into the deceased financier and sex trafficker.’
Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The Justice Department on February 27, 2025, released a long-awaited trove of documents related to Epstein. As stated by the New York Post: ‘But the much-hyped, roughly 200-page document dump provided no big revelations, instead listing celebrities and politicians who were already known to have palled around with the notorious pedophile.’”
“Simply put, the Justice Department needs to respond to public demands for transparency under law and release the Epstein files under FOIA,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
The DOJ claimed that Judicial Watch’s latest request duplicated one filed in 2019.
The conservative watchdog now demands a federal court order to:
- Order the DOJ to search for all responsive records related to Judicial Watch’s FOIA requests and prove that it used methods reasonably likely to uncover those records.
- Require the DOJ to produce, by a specific deadline, all non-exempt records responsive to the FOIA requests, and provide a Vaughn index explaining any documents withheld and the legal justifications for doing so.
- Enjoin (prohibit) the DOJ from continuing to withhold any non-exempt records that are responsive to the requests.
- Award Judicial Watch attorney’s fees and litigation costs reasonably incurred as a result of the DOJ’s non-compliance.
- Grant any other relief the court deems just and appropriate.
The long-awaited “Epstein Files: Phase One” angered many conservatives due to heavily redacted pages, coupled with media buildup involving a select group of so-called MAGA influencers.
Last month, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) slammed Pam Bondi’s Epstein list release, arguing that the previous setbacks have not instilled confidence in her.
Following the release of the files, Luna took to X, writing:
“AG Pam Bondi, We saw over the weekend you are reviewing all files from JFK to Epstein! We are ALL anticipating their release! When will they be declassified and available to the public?”
Luna followed up:
“On Feb 11 & Feb 19, House Oversight sent a letter to the DOJ asking for status on releasing the Epstein files as well as JFK, etc. The DOJ has not responded. Reaching out on X because we can’t seem to get a response from the AG. AG Pam Bondi, what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified.”
Meanwhile, Bondi said she had been misled.
“I was assured 120 pages was all there was,” she told Mark Levin.
“I kept saying, ‘There has to be more.’ Kash Patel asked the same thing and got the same line. Then a whistleblower tipped me off—SDNY was sitting on thousands of pages.”
Bondi later revealed on Hannity that the FBI has now received a truckload of Epstein-related documents from the SDNY.
We are still waiting.
READ: Kash Patel Responds to Backlash Over ‘Heavily Redacted’ Epstein Files