Rep. Thomas Massie and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday that would let state attorneys general, district attorneys, and Epstein’s victims sue the Department of Justice directly over its handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related records.
The bill, H.R. 9694, the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, would create a private right of action allowing state officials, members of Congress, and victims to challenge the attorney general in court over withheld, delayed, or heavily redacted files.
It would also require the DOJ to hand state and local prosecutors unredacted records, including secure access to classified materials, needed for their own investigations, and would subject DOJ and FBI officials to existing federal criminal penalties for knowingly concealing or falsifying files.
Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, co-authored the original Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Trump signed into law in November 2025 and required the DOJ to release all Epstein-related records within 30 days. Massie said the department “continues to unlawfully withhold over 3 million Epstein files,” calling the DOJ’s redactions unlawful as well.
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Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández and Ro Khanna are co-leading the House bill alongside Massie, while Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ben Ray Luján are leading the Senate companion version.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez offered a concrete reason for the bill, saying his office needs unredacted records the federal government has withheld to complete an active criminal investigation.
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The bill’s introduction comes as acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faces a Senate confirmation hearing this week, during which Democrats, including Sens. Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer, have pressed him on the DOJ’s compliance with the original law. Blanche told the committee the administration has been more transparent about Epstein than any prior administration and said no investigations tied to the case remain closed.
Massie and Khanna separately wrote to Blanche last week, raising concerns about redactions made without required explanation, arguing that “victim privacy must be protected, but that protection cannot be used as a blanket excuse to withhold records.”
The letter followed a judge’s order for the DOJ to remove redactions from more than a dozen Epstein files in a separate lawsuit brought by journalist Katie Phang, a case in which the department has so far declined to comply with the court’s deadline.
