1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act II (H.R. 9694 / S. 5005) to close the enforcement loopholes allowing the Department of Justice to evade statutory compliance.  Congress passed the original law 427–1 in the House and by unanimous consent in the Senate, mandating the release of all unclassified records by December 2025. Because that statute lacked enforcement mechanisms, DOJ has withheld millions of pages behind blanket privilege claims: - Noncompliance & State Suits: Fifteen state attorneys general confirm DOJ released only a fraction of required files. In Phang v. Blanche, the court noted the Attorney General conceded noncompliance with statutory deadlines. New Mexico AG Torrez sued DOJ after receiving just 31 pages out of over 13,000 document references to Zorro Ranch. - Exposing Victims Over Associates: The Wall Street Journal reported that DOJ’s release exposed personal identifying information of at least 43 victims, while redacting names of prominent associates under deliberative-process claims. Introduced by Reps. Thomas Massie, Ro Khanna, Nancy Mace, and Sen. Jeff Merkley, EFTA II fixes these statutory defects by: 1. Statutory Standing: Granting state attorneys general, local prosecutors, survivors, and members of Congress explicit standing in federal court to challenge unlawful DOJ withholdings.  2. Law Enforcement Access: Requiring unredacted file sharing with state and local prosecutors investigating related crimes, with secure protocols for classified material.  3. Survivor File Access: Guaranteeing survivors access to their own statements (FBI 302s) while strictly protecting victim privacy.  4. Stripping Privilege Claims: Barring DOJ from invoking deliberative process or administrative privileges to evade mandatory disclosure.  5. Criminal Penalties: Enforcing federal criminal penalties under Title 18 for officials who knowingly conceal, alter, or destroy covered records.  I urge you to take immediate action when Congress reconvenes on November 9: - House: Sign the discharge petition for H.R. 9694 to force an immediate floor vote.  - Senate: Co-sponsor S. 5005 and request an immediate Judiciary Committee markup. - Both: Vote YES on final passage of EFTA II. Congress passed the original mandate nearly unanimously. No federal agency gets to choose which laws to obey.