Members of Congress will gain access within days to the Justice Department’s closely guarded, unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files.
The long-awaited move could shed new light on one of the most explosive sex trafficking scandals in modern history.
Lawmakers will be permitted to begin reviewing the sensitive materials starting on Monday morning inside secure Justice Department offices, according to a letter obtained by NBC News and confirmed by other sources familiar with the plans.
The access will allow elected officials, but not their staff, to examine millions of previously released documents in their original, unredacted form.
It marks a significant escalation in Congress’ push to uncover the full truth behind Epstein’s network, communications, and potential accomplices.
Under strict conditions outlined by the Justice Department, lawmakers must give 24 hours’ notice before reviewing the files and will be required to examine them in person on government computers.
They will be allowed to take handwritten notes but barred from bringing electronic devices or making digital copies.
The tightly controlled process underscores the sensitivity of the material, which has remained at the center of intense political pressure and public scrutiny.
Jeffrey Epstein was charged in 2019 with sex trafficking minors and accused of running a long-term abuse operation involving underage girls
Members of Congress will be allowed to review unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files at the Justice Department starting on Monday
The files lawmakers will review are part of more than 3 million documents the Justice Department has released to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump last year.
The law required the attorney general to release ‘all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials’ related to Epstein, including internal Justice Department communications and investigative decisions.
But lawmakers have argued the Justice Department has not fully complied.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged last week that the department had ‘withheld or redacted files covered by various privileges, including deliberative process privilege, the work-product doctrine, and attorney-client privilege.’
He said approximately 200,000 pages had been withheld or redacted for those reasons.
That revelation sparked immediate backlash from lawmakers who had fought to force disclosure.
‘We have seen a blanket approach to redactions in some areas, while in other cases, victim names were not redacted at all,’ Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote in a joint letter to the Justice Department.
Khanna, one of the chief architects of the transparency law, declared the move to allow congressional access a hard-won victory.
Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, said allowing Congress to review the unredacted records proves ‘when Congress pushes back, Congress can prevail’
U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) interacts with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene during a press conference to discuss the Epstein Files Transparency bill last September
The files available for review include more than 3 million Epstein-related records already released under federal transparency law. Pictured, a document that was included in the DOJ release
‘When Congress pushes back, Congress can prevail,’ Khanna said in a statement posted online.
Congressional leaders have pressed for rapid access to the files ahead of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s scheduled testimony before the House Judiciary Committee next week.
Lawmakers want time to examine the documents themselves before questioning Bondi about the government’s handling of Epstein and the broader investigation.
Leadership and members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees will receive priority access, though all members of Congress will eventually be allowed to review the material.
The decision to restrict access to lawmakers only, excluding even congressional staff, reflects the extraordinary sensitivity of the information, which could include internal investigative decisions, communications, and potentially explosive evidence.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with powerful connections across politics, business, and entertainment, was charged in federal court in Manhattan in 2019 with sex trafficking minors.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said approximately 200,000 pages have been redacted or withheld due to legal privileges
Epstein died in federal custody while awaiting trial, and his death was ruled a suicide
He was accused of operating a vast scheme in which underage girls were paid for sexual encounters and trafficked among his associates.
Epstein died in a federal jail cell while awaiting trial, in a death ruled a suicide, but his death did not quell public outrage or suspicions about who else may have been involved.
The Justice Department has said the case involves more than 1,000 victims, many of whom have waited years for answers and accountability.
Lawmakers say reviewing the unredacted files could finally provide insight into key decisions, including why some individuals were investigated while others were not.
Despite the release of millions of pages, the Justice Department has acknowledged it possesses more than 6 million Epstein-related records in total, meaning millions of documents have yet to be made public.
Lawmakers and victims have criticized delays in releasing information and inconsistencies in how the documents were handled, including cases where sensitive victim information was not properly protected.
The Justice Department has defended its actions, citing legal privileges and the need to protect victims and ongoing investigative integrity.
Still, pressure continues to mount from both parties in Congress, where lawmakers have made clear they intend to scrutinize every detail.
