Epstein Judge Issues Stark Warning to DOJ Over Handling of Investigative Files

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan issued a stark warning to Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys, threatening them with contempt of court over their handling and withholding of Jeffrey Epstein investigative files.

During a high-stakes federal court hearing, Judge Sullivan explicitly put the government lawyers "on notice," stating that noncompliance with his orders could lead to career-ending contempt proceedings.

Judge Sullivan recalled his historic decision to hold DOJ prosecutors in contempt during the 2008 corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens.

He emphasized that the "black mark" of a contempt proceeding could ruin the lawyers' futures.

The judge expressed deep frustration with the lack of transparency, stating firmly that the public deserves to know "what the h--- is going on" with the records.

When pressed to explain gaps in the file production, DOJ attorney Andrew Block replied, “I have nothing else to say,” a response the judge deemed completely unacceptable.

When Block said the information would be “forthcoming,” the judge quipped, “Christmas is forthcoming.”

The legal battle stems from a lawsuit filed by independent journalist and former MS NOW host Katie Phang, who accused the DOJ of stalling and violating the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The judge is demanding answers on several specific deficiencies.

The DOJ, which blasted Phang’s lawsuit as lacking standing, withheld handwritten FBI interview notes — including those involving a woman who made allegations against President Donald Trump — claiming they were duplicative. The judge noted the law allows no exception for "substantially similar" documents.

The government has failed to begin producing or translating relevant foreign language files.

The DOJ missed major deadlines to explain its extensive blackouts, failing to publish its justifications in the Federal Register as required by law.

Though the DOJ hand-delivered unredacted versions of 10 key records to the judge's chambers just 32 minutes before Thursday's deadline for a private in camera judicial review, Phang's legal team plans to file a proposed order detailing Attorney General Todd Blanche's noncompliance.

Approximately 2.5 million pages of the Epstein investigation remain completely undisclosed to the public.

Sullivan emphasized the importance of showing that he was a judge willing to “enforce legitimate judicial orders.”

“I’m not in a habit of blindsiding people,” he said.

He added that he had “absolutely no desire to go down that road again.”

Phang’s attorney Brendan Ballou blasted Blanche in a statement, saying he had “failed to follow the law," something his predecessor Pam Bondi also alleged.

“He has failed to produce its redaction log. He has failed to begin producing foreign language documents. He has failed to produce notes concerning Donald Trump,” Ballou said. “The Justice Department’s strategy here is endless delay, and we’re glad that the Court appears to recognize this. Our next step is to file a proposed order for how to handle the Attorney General’s noncompliance, which we plan to do shortly.”