A federal judge stated that Attorney General Todd Blanche is not adequately following court orders regarding the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan set a deadline of September 24 for Blanche to comply or potentially face contempt charges. This order is part of a lawsuit filed by Katie Phang, a lawyer and political commentator, who is seeking to compel the Justice Department to release additional Epstein documents. Sullivan noted that a civil contempt finding would be premature at this stage but left the option open if Blanche fails to meet the deadline or does not provide a clear explanation for non-compliance.
In his opinion, Sullivan remarked that Blanche did not adequately respond to the plaintiff's arguments, and the court largely adopted Phang's proposed order. During an August hearing, Sullivan cautioned government lawyers that contempt proceedings could adversely affect their careers, emphasizing the public's right to know the details of the case.
In June, the court ruled that Phang has the right to sue Blanche in federal court in Washington, D.C., claiming harm due to Blanche's refusal to release documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was enacted by Congress last year. Phang discussed the lawsuit with Epstein survivors in a YouTube interview, stating, "That’s really the most horrific thing. That the top cop and top lawyer in our country violated the law."
In his ruling, Sullivan ordered Blanche to produce unreleased FBI interview notes and foreign language materials that the Justice Department previously claimed were impractical to release. The court rejected this argument, asserting that the documents are mandated by the law. Additionally, Blanche must demonstrate that names initially redacted by the Justice Department pertain to victims of sex trafficking, countering the department's claim that releasing unredacted information would breach privacy laws. Phang expressed concerns about the ongoing redactions, stating, "There are redactions that my lawsuit obviously says are illegal redactions or illegal withholdings." The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Sun.