Attorney General Pam Bondi has been threatened with jail time if she doesn’t cough up the full Epstein Files by Friday’s deadline.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna made the pointed threat on Thursday evening in an X video ahead of the 11:59 PM deadline.
Khanna, whose Epstein Transparency Act spearheaded the charge towards the release, said: “Let me be very clear, we need a full release. Anyone who tampers [with] documents, or conceals documents, or engages in excessive redaction will be prosecuted because of obstruction of justice.”
He then asserted: “We will prosecute individuals regardless of whether they’re the attorney general, or a career or political appointee. We need full transparency and justice for the survivors.”
He added in his written post: “Any person who attempts to conceal or scrub the files will be subject to prosecution under the law.”
Khanna said “rich and powerful men” have “raped underage girls” and they will be held accountable, as will those who helped cover up the abuse.
The text of the law, however, does not specify a penalty if the DOJ fails to meet the deadline. Khanna told NBC News earlier this week that while officials would likely avoid charges during the current administration, “they could be subject to prosecution given the federal law, and the statute of limitations will likely run into a new administration.”
He added that they also “could be hauled in front of Congress, the Oversight Committee,” and “there could be federal lawsuits” over any inaction.
It comes after President Trump was forced to sign a bill ordering Bondi’s DOJ to release the files after a rare show of bipartisanship on the Hill.
A 30-day deadline, which expires Friday night, was imposed.
The law allows for redactions in certain circumstances, but Khanna’s X appeal makes clear that Democrats demand the fullest release possible.
However, it is expected that the Justice Department will obscure some details relating to victims’ identities or related to ongoing investigations. There has been speculation that the investigation was re-opened in order to give the authorities an excuse to limit what is released.
The law expressly prohibits redactions related to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
It comes after a new tranche of Epstein-related files was released by the House Oversight Committee on Thursday.
This included a load of photographs, provided by the late financier’s estate. The trove of roughly 70 images includes heavily-redacted photographs of women’s passports, pictures of prominent men linked to the late sex offender, and “concerning text messages about recruiting women for Jeffrey Epstein,” according to a statement from Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the committee’s ranking Democrat.
The committee released the images without providing any explanation of the circumstances under which the photos were taken, but they caused fresh headaches for the Trump administration ahead of Friday’s deadline.
The White House was also put on the defensive on Thursday by a fresh New York Times investigation. The piece, which carries interviews with more than 30 former Epstein employees and victims, closely links President Trump to the man he sought to distance himself from.
“The two men’s relationship was both far closer and far more complex than the president now admits,” it read.
The article detailed how their relationship started in the 1980s, and said they bonded as they “pursued women in a game of ego and dominance.” It stated, “Female bodies were currency.”
Epstein was “perhaps [Trump’s] most reliable wingman” as he hit up parties in New York and Florida over nearly 20 years.
The DOJ has been contacted for comment on Khanna’s video.
