Judge orders DOJ to unredact Epstein files by July 2

A federal judge has ordered the Department of Justice to either release less-redacted versions of key documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation or provide a detailed justification for its redactions by July 2. The ruling, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, intensifies scrutiny of the government's handling of the massive trove of records.

The order stems from a lawsuit filed in April by journalist and attorney Katie Phang, who argued the Justice Department was violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That law, passed by Congress with near-unanimous support and signed last fall, mandated the release of investigative files related to the convicted offender. Judge Sullivan granted a preliminary injunction, finding that Phang had legal standing and that the department had effectively conceded it was not in full compliance with the statute.

The judge specifically directed the DOJ to address several categories of documents. These include eight email exchanges where the sender or recipient was blacked out, a draft federal indictment of Epstein with the names of potential co-conspirators redacted, and FBI interview notes related to allegations involving...