The battle over the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein escalated on Thursday as Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) issued a formal warning to Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the Department of Justice’s compliance with a congressional subpoena.
In a letter sent on November 21, Garcia argued that the DOJ cannot use ongoing investigations as a shield to withhold information from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
The conflict centers on the interplay between the recently signed Epstein Files Transparency Act and a standing subpoena from the Oversight Committee. While the new legislation mandates the public release of Epstein-related files within 30 days, it includes a provision allowing the DOJ to withhold records relevant to “active investigations.”
Garcia alleges that the Trump administration may attempt to exploit this provision by launching “bogus” or politically motivated investigations to stall the release of the documents.
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“Despite signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, it’s crystal clear that Donald Trump and Pam Bondi may use language in the law to slow or stop release of the files by launching a new bogus Epstein investigation,” Garcia stated in a press release.
The Congressman insists that the committee’s subpoena is far broader than the public transparency law. According to Garcia, the subpoena legally obligates the Attorney General to turn over the “complete, un-redacted” files to Congress—including classified materials and evidence from ongoing cases—regardless of what the new transparency law allows the DOJ to withhold from the general public.
The only exception acknowledged in the subpoena is the protection of the identities of survivors and potential victims.
“The Oversight Committee subpoena does not allow the Administration to hold back the Epstein files for any reason,” Garcia added. “Oversight Democrats will continue to apply pressure and make it clear there is no justification for any cover-up.”
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Tensions have been high following President Trump’s signing of the Act, a move Democrats characterize as reluctant. Garcia’s office noted that the President recently remarked that the Oversight Committee “can have whatever they are legally entitled to,” a phrase some lawmakers interpret as a signal that the administration plans to challenge the scope of what the committee is entitled to see.
The letter serves as a preemptive strike, notifying the Attorney General that Congress expects full compliance irrespective of any new investigative mandates initiated by the White House.
“I write to remind you that the subpoena… requires you to release the complete, un-redacted Epstein files to the Committee,” Garcia wrote to Bondi. “Any additional federal investigations launched by the DOJ or the President do not impact our subpoena.”
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