Reject DOJ's Late Filing Opposing Neutral Expert for Epstein Files Release

I am writing to urge you to reject U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton's Friday filing that opposes the appointment of a neutral expert to oversee the release of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking investigation. This filing directly undermines the intent of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, cosponsored by Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie. The Justice Department's position is unacceptable. Only 12,000 documents out of more than 2 million have been released since last month. This glacial pace raises serious questions about the DOJ's commitment to transparency. Representatives Khanna and Massie have expressed urgent and grave concerns that criminal violations have taken place in the release process, yet Clayton dismisses their standing to even raise these issues with the court. Clayton's argument that Judge Paul A. Engelmayer lacks authority to appoint a neutral expert is a procedural dodge that ignores the substance of the problem. The DOJ claims redactions are necessary to protect abuse victims' identities, but this explanation does not justify releasing less than one percent of available documents. A neutral expert would ensure victim protection while preventing the DOJ from using privacy concerns as cover for suppressing information the public has a right to see. Representative Khanna correctly noted that Clayton misconstrued their intent. They are not seeking to become parties to the criminal case. They are informing the court of serious misconduct that requires a remedy. The American people deserve transparency about how federal authorities handled this case involving powerful individuals and systemic abuse. I urge you to support the appointment of a neutral expert to oversee this document release and to ensure the Epstein Files Transparency Act achieves its intended purpose. The DOJ should not be allowed to police itself when credible allegations of misconduct exist.