1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

Today was the statutory deadline for the Department of Justice to provide Congress a written justification for any redactions or withheld documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files, as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The Act also mandated public release of the files by December 19. Both deadlines now appear to have been missed. This is not discretionary. Congress passed a binding law with clear deadlines, and the executive branch is legally required to comply. Ignoring those mandates undermines Congress’s constitutional oversight authority and the rule of law. Recent disclosures—including evidence of potential co-conspirators, repeated travel by powerful individuals on Epstein’s aircraft, Epstein’s access to Mar-a-Lago staff and services, and newly released footage contradicting official accounts of surveillance failures—make full transparency more urgent, not less. Congress has the authority and obligation to respond when the executive defies statute, including through enforcement actions, contempt powers, funding restrictions, and impeachment where warranted. I urge you to act immediately to enforce the Epstein Files Transparency Act, demand sworn explanations for missed deadlines and redactions, and ensure full compliance. Delayed transparency is denied accountability, and Congress must assert its authority now.