Lawmakers and public figures criticize the partial release of documents involving Jeffrey Epstein, and accuse the Justice Department of withholding legally required information.
istanbul: The partial release of documents related to late financier Jeffrey Epstein has sparked new controversy in the US.
Lawmakers and public figures have accused the Justice Department of withholding information required by law.
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the newly released material represents a small portion of the entire record.
Ocasio-Cortez uses social media platforms
He said the release violates the law, which requires all files to be made public.
Ocasio-Cortez claimed the department led by Attorney General Pam Bondi is still hiding most of them.
Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, a member of the House Oversight Committee, also condemned the limited disclosure.
He described the action as “disgraceful and incredibly worrying”.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie claimed political pressure followed the document’s release.
“Within hours of the Epstein file being released, a superPAC funded by Israel-first billionaires … bought US$800,000 worth of TV ads against me,” Massey said.
He said that the donor John Paulson appears in Epstein’s black book.
Massey said he would still win his election, but added, “If I lose, it was worth it.”
Tech billionaire Elon Musk also rejected any links to Epstein.
“They’re really trying to deflect responsibility from me to the people who are at fault,” Musk said.
He clarified that he had not attended any of Epstein’s parties, traveled on his plane, or visited his island.
Musk stressed that “those who have committed serious crimes need to be prosecuted.”
Epstein was found dead in a New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
He had earlier pleaded guilty in a Florida court in 2008.
He was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution, a deal critics have labeled a “sweetheart deal”.
His victims have alleged that he operated a vast sex trafficking network used by the wealthy and political elite.
This matter remains a politically discussed issue in America.
Lawmakers and victims’ advocates continue to demand greater transparency about his network of associates.
