Federal Appeals Court Rejects DOJ Attempt to Delay Review of Foreign-Language Epstein Files (10/29/26)
The Epstein ChroniclesShow Notes
A federal appeals court dealt another setback to Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Department of Justice on October 28, 2026, rejecting the government's attempt to halt a court-ordered review of foreign-language documents contained in the Jeffrey Epstein files. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the DOJ had failed to demonstrate that beginning the review would cause irreparable harm, undermining its justification for further delays. The decision came as part of a lawsuit filed by journalist Katie Phang, who accused the Justice Department of violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act by improperly withholding records, failing to provide a required redaction log, and refusing to examine documents written in foreign languages. Although the department had announced in January that its review of approximately 3.5 million pages was complete, it subsequently acknowledged that foreign-language records had been excluded because reviewers supposedly could not determine whether they qualified for disclosure. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan initially ordered the review to begin by July 2, but the DOJ failed to meet that deadline, prompting Phang to seek contempt proceedings. Sullivan declined to hold Blanche in contempt but rejected the government's excuses, emphasizing that administrative inconvenience did not excuse compliance with federal law. After Sullivan issued another deadline in September, the DOJ sought intervention from the appeals court, arguing that Phang lacked the legal authority to bring the lawsuit and that proceeding with the review would interfere with its appeal. The appellate judges rejected the request to suspend the review, allowing Sullivan's orders to remain in effect while the underlying litigation continues.
The ruling represents another significant legal defeat for the Justice Department in its prolonged battle over compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, particularly because it concerns an entire category of potentially relevant evidence that federal officials acknowledged they never examined. Although the DOJ has not disclosed how many foreign-language documents remain unreviewed, survivors and advocacy organizations have suggested the total could reach hundreds of thousands, raising further questions about the department's earlier declarations that its work was finished. The appeals court also dismissed the government's argument that beginning the review could result in premature public disclosure, pointing out that the DOJ would only be required to release records it determined were legally subject to disclosure, while disputes over withheld material could still be litigated. Under Sullivan's September 21 order, both parties must submit a joint filing outlining the next steps within three days of the appellate decision. Importantly, the ruling does not immediately require the release of additional Epstein records, nor does it resolve the broader question of whether Phang can ultimately enforce the transparency law through her lawsuit. Nevertheless, it removes a major procedural obstacle that Blanche's Justice Department had attempted to place in front of the review process. For an administration that repeatedly insisted it had satisfied its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the decision reinforces the growing legal scrutiny surrounding its handling of records that were supposed to have been examined and disclosed months earlier.
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Federal Appeals Court Rejects Trump DOJ's Bid to Halt Epstein Files Review, Says Government Failed to Justify the Delay | IBTimes UK
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