Washington, D.C. – Ahead of former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s scheduled testimony Friday before the House Oversight Committee regarding the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) handling of the Epstein Files, American Oversight today filed suit against DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seeking records about the government’s review and release process for the files, including records concerning alleged instructions to “flag” materials mentioning President Donald Trump.
The lawsuit seeks records requested in March 2026 through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that could shed light on how senior DOJ and FBI officials managed the review and release process after Congress enacted the Epstein Files Transparency Act, including records from the past year concerning internal review protocols, communications about withheld materials, and messages exchanged through encrypted or third-party platforms. The suit also challenges DOJ’s denial of expedited processing and the FBI’s failure to act on such requests despite ongoing congressional investigations, mounting public scrutiny, and growing evidence that records concerning allegations against Trump may have been withheld from earlier releases.
“Despite mounting calls for information, the American people still do not have basic answers about how DOJ and the FBI handled the Epstein Files review,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “The administration repeatedly claimed it was conducting a transparent and exhaustive review, yet public reporting suggests the review process included undisclosed review protocols, missing materials, and apparent efforts to single out records connected to President Trump. This review took place under Attorney General Pam Bondi’s leadership, and the public has a right to know whether political considerations compromised a process that was supposed to comply with federal law and deliver transparency.”
Today’s lawsuit builds on American Oversight’s ongoing effort to uncover how DOJ and FBI officials handled the review and release of Epstein-related records as scrutiny over the process intensified. Since the nonpartisan watchdog first sought records in 2025, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act; DOJ released additional records under mounting public pressure; and reporting and newly released documents raised further questions about undisclosed review protocols, withheld materials, and whether records concerning allegations against Trump were treated differently from other files.
Last September, American Oversight filed suit for records from March about DOJ’s internal review of Epstein-related investigative materials. The nonpartisan watchdog filed the previous underlying FOIA requests in July 2025 after reports and congressional inquiries raised concerns that FBI staff were instructed to flag mentions of Trump, further deepening concerns about political interference.
In December, DOJ and the FBI asked the court to strike factual allegations from American Oversight’s initial lawsuit that were drawn from public statements by top officials — including Bondi, agency documents, media reporting, and correspondence from Congress. A federal judge rejected this effort after American Oversight argued it was a brazen attempt to keep the public in the dark about how the Epstein file review was conducted and who it was designed to protect.
Last November, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required DOJ to release all unclassified records related to Epstein by Dec. 19, 2025. President Trump signed it into law shortly after. Despite the clear mandate, DOJ released only a portion of the files by the deadline, drawing criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum and from survivors seeking greater transparency.
Subsequent releases and public reporting have indicated that tens of thousands of records were withheld in 2025, including records of allegations against Trump that DOJ released only after public pressure, in early March 2026. The chaotic response has fueled questions about whether DOJ has fully complied with the law and whether Bondi’s previous statements to Congress about the completeness of the releases were accurate.
American Oversight is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit ethics watchdog that uses public records requests backed by litigation to expose official misconduct, threats to democracy, and abuses of power at all levels of government. Documents obtained by American Oversight have supported investigative work by journalists, congressional committees, and independent watchdogs, and have been featured in hundreds of news reports across the country. Follow us at @weareoversight and learn more at americanoversight.org.