Minority leader seeks Senate lawsuit for release of Epstein files, faces Republican objection

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that the Trump administration has failed to comply with federal law requiring the release of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but found his bid for a legal challenge blocked by a powerful Republican.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer said the materials released so far have been "redacted to an absurd degree," decrying documents released with hundreds of pages almost entirely blacked out.

"It's just a wall of black ink," Schumer said, displaying the documents to his colleagues.

"Look at this. There are hundreds of pages that look just like this. This is not transparency. This is not what the law requires. This is a mockery of the truth and an insult to the survivors," he added.

Schumer said he was seeking unanimous consent for passage of a resolution directing the Senate to sue the Justice Department for violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed last November.

He noted that 15 Democratic senators have joined him as co-sponsors of the resolution.

"Congress spoke with one voice when it passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act," Schumer said, emphasizing that the legal deadline for releasing the files was Dec. 19, nearly 50 days ago.

"The Dec. 19 deadline was not a recommendation. It wasn't a suggestion. Releasing the Epstein files is the law."

But the effort was blocked when Republican Sen. John Barrasso objected to the request.

"This is another reckless political stunt designed to distract Americans from Democrats' dangerous plan to shut down the Department of Homeland Security," said Barrasso, the Senate majority whip, second only to the Senate majority leader.

CONTROVERSIAL RELEASE OF FILES

The latest batch of Epstein-related documents released by the Justice Department last week mentioned numerous high-profile figures, with several feeling the pressure of public ostracism.

Survivors and victims' relatives say the release falls short of what the law requires, and omitted much vital information.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In 2008, he pleaded guilty in a court in the state of Florida of procuring a minor for prostitution, but critics call the relatively minor conviction a "sweetheart deal."

His victims have alleged that he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was used by members of the wealthy and political elite.