Judge drops RULING as DOJ violates Epstein files release
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The DOJ violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act by failing to release all files by December 19th and to provide a report to Congress 15 days later.
- ❖Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie sent a letter to Judge Engelmayer requesting a special master to enforce compliance.
- ❖Judge Engelmayer issued an order directing the DOJ to respond by Friday, addressing their non-compliance, congressional standing, and judicial jurisdiction.
- ❖The judge previously called out the DOJ for a 'pretextual motion' regarding grand jury transcripts, suggesting he is aware of potential obfuscation.
- ❖The guest believes the judge may rule against Congress's standing, but suggests victims of Epstein's crimes could have stronger standing to intervene.
- ❖The full disclosure of files is seen as inevitable, potentially revealing horrific details and government cover-ups.
Insights
1DOJ's Double Violation of Epstein Files Transparency Act
The Department of Justice failed to meet two statutory deadlines mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. First, they did not disclose all Epstein files by December 19th. Second, they missed the subsequent 15-day deadline to issue a report to Congress detailing which files were retained, what redactions were made, and why, along with a catalog of those redactions.
The host states, 'on December 19th, they were obligated by federal statute to disclose all of the Epstein files. They blew right by that... Then 15 days after the 19th, the federal law required that they issue a report to Congress...' The guest confirms, 'The Department of Justice violated the federal law, the Epstein Files Transparency Act.'
2Judge Engelmayer Orders DOJ Response to Congressional Letter
Following a letter from Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie requesting a special master to compel DOJ compliance, Judge Engelmayer issued an order directing the DOJ to respond. This is significant because courts typically have no obligation to act on letters from non-parties like members of Congress.
The guest notes, 'When members of Congress write a letter to the court, the court has no obligation to do anything... However, the judge promptly issued an order... directing the Department of Justice to respond to these... allegations.'
3Judicial Scrutiny on Standing and Jurisdiction
Judge Engelmayer's order requires the DOJ to address not only their non-compliance but also two critical procedural questions: whether the two members of Congress have legal standing to bring this issue before the court, and whether Judge Engelmayer himself has jurisdiction over the matter concerning the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The guest explains, 'the judge also said... they also want DOJ to respond to two other questions. One, do these two members of Congress have standing? ...and two, does he Judge Engel mayor actually have jurisdiction or authority over this issue?'
4Judge's Prior Skepticism of DOJ's Transparency Efforts
Judge Engelmayer previously called out the DOJ (under Pam Bondi) for a 'pretextual motion' to disclose grand jury transcripts, which the judge deemed a 'diversion' to distract from the actual Epstein files. This history suggests the judge is already wary of the DOJ's transparency claims.
The guest states, 'Judge Engel Meyer back then called Pam Bondi's DOJ out on it and he said you are engaged in a diversion trying to distract attention away from... the fact that there are all these files.'
Notable Moments
Judge Engelmayer previously identified a DOJ motion regarding grand jury transcripts as a 'pretextual ruse' and a 'diversion' to create an illusion of transparency while distracting from the actual Epstein files.
This prior judicial skepticism indicates that Judge Engelmayer is already aware of and critical of the DOJ's tactics concerning the Epstein case, suggesting he may approach the current non-compliance with a critical eye.
Quotes
"Judge Engel Meyer back then called Pam Bondi's DOJ out on it and he said you are engaged in a diversion trying to distract attention away from you know the fact that there are all these files."
"I think it's inevitable that eventually it's all going to come out. And I think it is going to be horrific, especially horrific if we learn that our government has been covering up, you know, crimes of tens or hundreds or thousands of, you know, largely influential men who these women, these girls were trafficked to."
Q&A
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