US Attorney General Claims Full Disclosure in Epstein Case Despite Mounting Criticism

On February 14, 2026, Attorney General Pam Bondi declared that the Department of Justice had fulfilled its obligations under the Epstein File Transparency Act (EFTA) by releasing all relevant materials concerning the late Jeffrey Epstein. This announcement comes as a follow-up to a substantial document dump that occurred on January 30, 2026. Despite Bondi’s assertions of full disclosure, the move has been met with significant skepticism from members of the House Judiciary Committee. These critics argue that a substantial portion of the files remains hidden from public view or is heavily obscured by redactions, directly challenging the administration's claims of total transparency regarding the case.

The legislative foundation for this disclosure, the EFTA, was signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025. The act mandated that the Department of Justice release all non-classified records related to the criminal prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within a strict thirty-day window. In a formal communication to the House Judiciary Committee, Bondi outlined the scope of the shared records, which primarily focus on Epstein’s human trafficking networks and complex financial dealings. Notably, the documents contain a list of over 300 prominent individuals, including Donald Trump, Barack and Michelle Obama, Prince Harry, and Bill Gates. While these names appear in the files, the context varies significantly, ranging from direct personal interactions to mere mentions in unrelated media reports. Bondi maintained that no information was suppressed for political reasons, though she conceded that certain details were redacted to protect ongoing law enforcement sensitivities.

The path to this disclosure began in September 2025 when Congressman Thomas Massie initiated a discharge petition to force a vote on the transparency bill. After successfully gathering the required 218 signatures, the House of Representatives passed the measure with an overwhelming 427 to 1 majority, followed by a unanimous vote in the Senate. While the Department of Justice initially claimed compliance after releasing 3.5 million pages in late January 2026, experts estimate the total collection exceeds 6 million pages. To manage this massive undertaking, the DOJ deployed a team of more than 500 attorneys and reviewers. Their primary objective was to scrutinize the documents to ensure that the identities of victims remained protected while attempting to meet the public's demand for accountability and clarity.

Despite the sheer volume of data released, the Department of Justice faces intense scrutiny over its handling of the process. Critics, including Representative Massie, have characterized the rollout as a significant disappointment, pointing to the extensive use of legal exemptions to withhold information. The DOJ reportedly invoked the deliberative process privilege, the work product doctrine, and attorney-client privilege to justify withholding specific records. As of February 15, 2026, legal consequences remain limited to the primary figures: Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, and Jean-Luc Brunel, the latter of whom died in a Paris prison in February 2022. While European authorities have leveraged these new documents to launch fresh investigations, the response in the United States has been more measured regarding high-ranking public figures. One notable international consequence was the resignation of former French Minister Jack Lang from his position at the Arab World Institute following the appearance of his name in the disclosed files.