A pair of US lawmakers have threatened legal action against US Attorney General Pam Bondi, after her deadline to release all government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was met only in part.
The release of the Department of Justice (DoJ) documents was highly anticipated, but ultimately only a portion of the available material was made public.
A leading campaigner on the issue, Republican congressman Thomas Massie, has expressed intentions to initiate contempt proceedings against the attorney general due to the lack of full disclosure.
The DoJ maintains that it is fulfilling its legal obligations, with Bondi asserting that her administration is integral to 'the most transparent administration in American history'.
The term 'Epstein files' refers to a collection of information compiled by the US justice department during its two criminal investigations into Epstein.
A law mandating the release of this information was signed by US President Donald Trump in November following pressure from Republican supporters. Friday marked the deadline for the release.
Although some materials were released, numerous redactions left critics, including Massie and various Epstein abuse survivors, frustrated as they sought full transparency. Trump has not yet commented on this matter.
Following the partial release of documents, the DoJ has pledged that additional material will be forthcoming in the upcoming weeks.
Appearing on CBS's 'Face the Nation', Massie criticized the DoJ for supposedly disregarding both the spirit and the text of the law. He further suggested that bringing inherent contempt against Bondi would expedite justice for the victims.
Inherent contempt is a rarely used legal measure that Congress can invoke, which has not been exercised for nearly a century, as per sources from the American Bar Association. Massie clarified that he and Democratic congressman Ro Khanna are in the process of drafting these contempt proceedings.
Khanna detailed that their proposal would impose fines on Bondi for each day the full documents remain un-released.
In contrast, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine voiced a differing opinion, deeming contempt or impeaching Bondi as 'premature', suggesting that there are alternative routes to ensure compliance.
As tensions rise, Bill Blanche, Bondi's deputy, asserted confidence in their compliance with the law while outlining the complexities associated with reviewing the substantial volume of documents involved.
Meanwhile, the legal intricacies surrounding the Epstein case continue to unfold, with public demand for accountability and transparency from authorities remaining at the forefront.
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