Judge Emmet Sullivan told DOJ lawyers to justify why parts of the Epstein files remain redacted or withheld, focusing on victim-related deletions and handwritten interview notes tied to allegations involving Donald Trump.
In a June ruling, Sullivan said the department violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act and ordered it either to release the material or explain the legal basis for keeping it secret.
Sullivan said DOJ had not produced proof that some people were treated as victims at their lawyers' request, and questioned why the Trump-related handwritten notes could not be manually redacted instead of withheld.
The DOJ says the notes are substantially similar to already released FBI interview reports and that broader redactions are lawful, while also seeking a two-month delay as it continues its review.
The dispute comes in independent journalist Katie Phang's lawsuit, which has become a test of how far the Epstein Files Transparency Act compels disclosure of sensitive records.