DOJ internal watchdog to review department's compliance with Epstein Files Transparency Act

(WASHINGTON) -- The Justice Department's internal watchdog announced Thursday it is launching an audit into the DOJ's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, according to a statement from deputy inspector general William Blier.

The announcement of the DOJ inspector general's review follows growing criticism from lawmakers questioning whether the department has openly defied the Act, which mandated that it release all of its internal files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

According to Blier, the IG's office will look at how the Justice Department identified, redacted and released the millions of records and whether its actions adhered to the law.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has stated repeatedly that the DOJ has complied with the law, even as he has acknowledged that the department continues to withhold millions of more pages that he says aren't relevant to the law's demands.

The surprise announcement also comes after months of growing pressure from Democrats on Capitol Hill who have demanded DOJ's inspector general launch reviews into numerous DOJ actions taken under the Trump administration, ranging from its handling of Trump's immigration crackdown to the DOJ's pursuit of the president's perceived political enemies.

Until now, those demands had largely been met with silence from the IG, following the departure of longtime inspector general Michael Horowitz last year. 

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