Two top Democrats are urging the Justice Department's internal watchdog to ensure that files related to late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was a friend of President Donald Trump, are not tampered with or concealed before they're released to Congress and the public.
Senators Adam Schiff and Dick Durbin wrote a letter this week to Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume, requesting an audit of the chain-of-custody forms associated with the materials that must be released by December 19. They want to know if there have been any irregularities or gaps in how the evidence was handled.
The Senators' concerns come as President Trump signed a law last month requiring the Justice Department to release Epstein's case files, which he had previously called a "hoax" and a distraction. Federal judges have since cleared hurdles for disclosure, including unsealing grand jury transcripts from an earlier investigation into Epstein.
But Democrats are worried that recent claims of high-level involvement in reviewing Epstein's evidence could compromise the integrity of the release. Specifically, they're concerned about Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, who supposedly oversaw a massive review effort that involved around 1,000 FBI personnel working long hours to identify any mentions of President Trump.
The Senators want the Inspector General to determine whether every piece of evidence has a complete and accurate chain-of-custody record, including who handled the materials and how many agencies and individuals had access to them. They're also pushing for answers by January 19.
By requesting an audit, the Democrats are trying to ensure that the files released reflect the original evidence and aren't tampered with or altered in some way. The move comes as lawmakers continue to push for transparency and accountability in the Justice Department's handling of Epstein-related cases.
Senators Adam Schiff and Dick Durbin wrote a letter this week to Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume, requesting an audit of the chain-of-custody forms associated with the materials that must be released by December 19. They want to know if there have been any irregularities or gaps in how the evidence was handled.
The Senators' concerns come as President Trump signed a law last month requiring the Justice Department to release Epstein's case files, which he had previously called a "hoax" and a distraction. Federal judges have since cleared hurdles for disclosure, including unsealing grand jury transcripts from an earlier investigation into Epstein.
But Democrats are worried that recent claims of high-level involvement in reviewing Epstein's evidence could compromise the integrity of the release. Specifically, they're concerned about Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, who supposedly oversaw a massive review effort that involved around 1,000 FBI personnel working long hours to identify any mentions of President Trump.
The Senators want the Inspector General to determine whether every piece of evidence has a complete and accurate chain-of-custody record, including who handled the materials and how many agencies and individuals had access to them. They're also pushing for answers by January 19.
By requesting an audit, the Democrats are trying to ensure that the files released reflect the original evidence and aren't tampered with or altered in some way. The move comes as lawmakers continue to push for transparency and accountability in the Justice Department's handling of Epstein-related cases.
... I mean, you'd think that after all these years, we would have a clearer picture of what went down. These Senators are right to want to ensure that the files aren't tampered with or hidden - it's like they're saying "hold up, let's take a closer look at this". And I get why there's concern about the chain-of-custody forms... it's like trying to piece together a puzzle blindfolded 
. The fact that 1,000 FBI personnel were involved in reviewing evidence is wild 
. Maybe this audit will give us some answers... fingers crossed 
. The whole thing just feels fishy to me, you know? I mean, two top Democrats are pushing for an audit because they're worried about tampering or concealment... but aren't they also worried that the Republicans might try to hide something too? 
It's like we're stuck in this cycle of distrust. And what's up with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel getting all this attention? Did they really have 1,000 FBI personnel working on a massive review effort? That sounds way more than I've heard about any similar investigation in the past... 
. I mean, 1,000 FBI personnel working on this? That's a whole lot of people with access to sensitive information... it's like an open invitation for tampering or something 
. And what's up with the chain-of-custody forms anyway? If they're not releasing those, how can we be sure that the files are even accurate? 
The fact that there are still people trying to hide or alter evidence is super shady 
. And with all these high-level people involved in reviewing Epstein's files, it's hard to know what's real and what's not 
. I'm all for transparency and accountability, you know? 
The Senators are right to be pushing for answers - we deserve to know the truth about what really went down with Epstein 
. It's been ages since he passed away, so can't we just get on with it already? 
. & btw, 1000+ ppl working on reviewing those files? that's a lot of eyeballs on the evidence lol. gotta keep pushing for answers, right? 