The Department of Justice's internal watchdog said on Thursday that it is investigating the DOJ's compliance with a law requiring that it fully disclose department files about the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The audit by the Office of the Inspector General comes after months of complaints that the DOJ has failed to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act by withholding many files in its possession about Epstein and his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Deputy Inspector General William Blier, in a statement, said, "Our preliminary objective is to evaluate the DOJ's processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act."
"If circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider addressing other issues that may arise during the course of the audit," Blier said.
The OIG "will issue a public report with the audit's results when our work is complete," he said.
Congress passed the Epstein files law in November, months after then-Attorney General Pam Bondi reneged on her promise to release the DOJ's investigatory file on Epstein.
Epstein, a former friend of President Donald Trump, killed himself in a federal jail in New York City in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on child sex trafficking charges.
Trump fired Bondi on April 2, reportedly after being unhappy with the way the attorney general had handled issues relating to the Epstein files.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
