Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) berated the Department of Justice (DOJ) for violating federal law and mishandling records related to Jeffrey Epstein, calling their actions a betrayal of survivors and a failure of accountability.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Durbin noted that it took legislative action from Congress to compel U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel to move toward “providing justice,” after mishandling the Epstein files for almost a year since Donald Trump took office.
Durbin said the Trump administration had an opportunity to demonstrate transparency after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Instead, he stated, they still continue violate federal law to “protect the rich and powerful.”
The law required the DOJ to release the files by December 19, 2025, Durbin pointed out, but the bulk of the material was not produced until January 30, 2065—42 days past the deadline. He further alleged that the department violated statutory protections for victims by failing to redact personally identifiable information, including nude photographs in which names and faces were visible. At the same time, he stated, records identifying powerful business and political figures were heavily redacted.
Durbin: ‘It’s Clear That Donald Trump And His Republican Enablers Are Executing A Cover-Up’
Durbin contended that the DOJ has still not produced all records required under the law and has removed thousands of documents from its website beyond those that improperly identified victims. He cited a whistleblower who told his office that FBI agents reviewing the files were instructed to flag references to President Donald Trump—a claim he said raises further concerns in light of reporting by The New York Times about undisclosed documents tied to allegations of the president sexually assaulting a minor.
As ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin said he is joining Schumer—the Senate Minority Leader—in demanding that the DOJ and the FBI preserve all records related to the management and release of the Epstein files. Preserving federal records, he emphasized, is a legal obligation essential to congressional oversight.
Durbin closed by saying survivors “deserve better” and accusing the administration and its allies of executing a concealment strategy. He pointed to accountability efforts abroad and questioned whether similar consequences would follow in the United States, urging the administration to come clean with the public without further delay.
