Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton has denied a request from Congress that he appoint an independent expert to oversee the release of documents in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, claiming that members of Congress lack standing with the court to do so.
The request was made by Reps Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who claim there are "urgent and grave concerns" about the slow release of only 12,000 documents out of over two million. They believe a special master and monitor could ensure compliance with laws requiring public disclosure.
Clayton's letter stated that Engelmayer lacks authority to grant such a request, particularly because the congressman requesting it is not a party to the case. The judge overseeing the case must reject the request, according to Clayton.
Khanna disagrees, saying Clayton "misconstrued" their intent and claiming that the Department of Justice's release was a "flagrant violation" of the law's requirements. He described this slow pace of releasing documents as "causing serious trauma" for Epstein abuse victims.
The request was made by Reps Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who claim there are "urgent and grave concerns" about the slow release of only 12,000 documents out of over two million. They believe a special master and monitor could ensure compliance with laws requiring public disclosure.
Clayton's letter stated that Engelmayer lacks authority to grant such a request, particularly because the congressman requesting it is not a party to the case. The judge overseeing the case must reject the request, according to Clayton.
Khanna disagrees, saying Clayton "misconstrued" their intent and claiming that the Department of Justice's release was a "flagrant violation" of the law's requirements. He described this slow pace of releasing documents as "causing serious trauma" for Epstein abuse victims.
! hes denyin a cong request 2 appoint an independant expert 2 oversee document releas but ppl r thinkin he's just tryna cover up somethin 
. theres literally only 12k docs out of like 2 miln and its takin forever!!! i feel 4 rep khanna tho, hes right to call it a "flagrant violation" 
. the victims r stil healin from epstein's abuse & slow releas is causin them more trauma 
. whats wrong wit jay clayton? 
? I feel for the victims, no doubt, but come on, we need some actual transparency here 
. And I'm so over Jay Clayton dodging responsibility 
- shouldn't he be working to make things right instead of playing it safe?
Concerns about transparency 
And it's not just about us, it's about the victims too. Reps Khanna and Massie are right, we need someone to keep an eye on this to make sure it's all done by the book. 
Jay Clayton is saying they don't have the power to do that, but I think he's misunderstanding what's going on here.
It doesn't seem right. The slow pace is a big deal, especially for the victims of Epstein's abuse. Can't we just get to the bottom of this already? 
. I mean, 2 million docs and only 12k have been released? That's a whole lotta dodgy stuff just sitting there 
This slow pace of releasing documents is literally causing trauma for Epstein abuse victims...it's like, hello! Justice should be served ASAP 
. The whole thing feels super sketchy to me 
My heart goes out to those victims, they deserve justice and answers ASAP 
And Clayton's excuse about Congress not having standing with the court just doesn't cut it 
. Those congress reps Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie have a point, you know? Victims deserve truth and justice ASAP 
.
. Clayton's just making excuses and playing politics with our justice system 
. And Khanna is totally justified in calling out the Department of Justice for this flagrant violation of the law 
. We need more transparency, not less! 
. It's crazy to think they're still dealing with the aftermath all these years later. And now, with only 12k docs released out of 2 million, it's like they're being kept in the dark even more 
. I get why Reps Khanna and Massie are pushing for an independent expert to oversee the release - it just doesn't seem right that the DOJ is moving at such a snail's pace 
. Clayton's response does sound kinda suspicious, though... maybe there's more to this story than meets the eye 
. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that justice will be served and those docs get released soon 
. It's all about being vigilant and holding people in power accountable, right?
Reps Ro and Massie are totally on point saying that some sort of independent expert is needed to ensure these laws are being followed. And honestly, Clayton's explanation just seems kinda dodgy 
can you believe this? Reps Khanna and Massie are like, "Hey, we wanna make sure those Epstein docs get released fast, 'cause, you know, victims' rights and all that!" 
Meanwhile, Jay Clayton is over here like, "Nah, you guys ain't got a clue, I'm the one in charge of this party" 
. And honestly, who can blame them? The whole thing is like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole... except instead of moles, it's Epstein's shady friends and their lawyers trying to keep those docs under wraps! 
. These victims deserve justice and answers, and Congress is just trying to make sure that happens 
. It's imperative we prioritize transparency and accountability in cases like this 
The lack of transparency in this whole thing is really unnerving.
. Maybe Khanna and Massie can try working with Clayton to find some sort of middle ground? 
. That way, everyone gets a little bit of what they want 
. Just seems like common sense to me...