Epstein Files Blowback: DOJ’s Delays Spark Outrage from Both Sides

The Justice Department’s messy roll-out of the Jeffrey Epstein files has exposed a bureaucratic train wreck that the American people deserve to see finished, not delayed by excuses. On December 24, 2025, the DOJ acknowledged it had uncovered more than a million additional documents and said it would need “a few more weeks” to process them — missing the December 19 congressional deadline and handing Democrats a political headache. This isn’t a neutral administrative hiccup; it’s a test of whether Washington will put victims and truth ahead of political theater.

As Rep. Andy Biggs bluntly told Newsmax on Finnerty, the Epstein files push is now backfiring on the Democrats who tried to weaponize the story for partisan gain. Conservatives warned from the start that the left’s selective leaks and grandstanding would look like politicking — and now even their own frantic narrative is unraveling on national TV. Biggs and other House Republicans are right to demand consistent transparency rather than one-sided show trials staged for cable news.

The initial batch the DOJ did publish was riddled with heavy redactions, and even some files that briefly appeared on the department’s site vanished the next day, fueling suspicion and outrage from both sides of the aisle. Photos and documents were released without context, and scores of pages were blacked out entirely — a result that neither protects victims nor serves the public interest when combined with missing files. Americans are fed up with shadowy processing that looks more like damage control than honest disclosure.

According to reporting, federal teams have been scrambling to review and redact the new trove of materials, but the sheer volume has overwhelmed the timeline that Congress set. The administration’s claim that redactions are necessary to protect victims rings true in principle, but when redactions are opaque and files disappear, the optics scream selective justice. If the department truly cares about victims, it will publish a clear index of what’s being withheld and why — and do so immediately.

Democrats who demanded transparency for months suddenly seem allergic to accountability when the documents don’t fit their script, and the partisan double standard is impossible to miss. House Republicans have argued that Democrats sat on material for years, released only what was politically useful, and now complain about the process when it reveals uncomfortable facts for their side. That hypocrisy—and the refusal to answer tough questions from committees doing oversight—will only deepen public distrust in career politicians.

Make no mistake: this is about more than politics. There are real victims whose lives were wrecked by Epstein’s crimes, and they deserve a full, transparent accounting without leaks and political sniping. Conservatives should be the loudest voices for victims and due process alike — demand open files, protect identities where necessary, and stop the gamesmanship that drags healing into the partisan arena.

Congress must stop wringing its hands and start holding officials accountable for the chaotic implementation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Republicans in the House have an obligation to press for immediate completion of the releases, a public catalog of redactions, and sworn testimony from officials who mismanaged the process. If the DOJ refuses to comply, tougher oversight measures and subpoenas are not only warranted, they’re necessary to restore trust.

Hardworking Americans want the truth, not sideshows. Washington’s elites — of every party — have a duty to victims and the country to see this through, not to hide behind procedural excuses while political operatives score points on cable. The Epstein files should end secrets and start accountability, and conservatives will keep fighting to make sure that’s exactly what happens.