Effectively, we obtained our Friday Epstein Information information dump. Type of.
The Division of Justice did certainly publish some files. The web site is messy, incomplete, and unattainable to go looking. As in actually unattainable—the search function is totally damaged.
However the operative phrase right here, actually, is “some.” As in “not all.” Which we knew was coming, as a result of Deputy Legal professional Basic Todd Blanche took trip from declaring war on judges who rule in opposition to the Trump administration to clarify that the administration has no intention of obeying the regulation and releasing all of the Epstein recordsdata by Friday’s deadline.
Todd, did it ever happen to you that judges may not constantly rule in opposition to you and your former non-public felony defendant shopper, who now occurs to be the present president of the USA, should you simply adopted the legal guidelines to start with?
Blanche went on Fox Information to announce the Division of Justice’s plan to adjust to the Epstein Information Transparency Act. Complying would imply releasing the entire recordsdata about Jeffrey Epstein, President Donald Trump’s longtime pal, by Friday However Blanche dares ask: what if we simply don’t?
“I anticipate that we’re going to launch a number of hundred thousand paperwork immediately. I anticipate that we’re going to launch extra paperwork over the subsequent couple of weeks, so immediately a number of hundred thousand, after which over the subsequent couple of weeks,” Blanche stated. “I anticipate a number of hundred thousand extra.”
The regulation set a deadline for releasing all of the recordsdata. Friday. Not the deadline to begin to launch after which roll it out over a number of weeks. Not the deadline to “anticipate” to launch. Friday. All of them. Friday. As a substitute, we obtained some half-assed DOJ web site with an impossible-to-navigate construction and no info as to how a lot has already been launched and the way a lot the DOJ nonetheless has left to attempt to learn by way of and determine a method to restrict any harm to Trump.
However per Blanche, the delay is as a result of they’re simply so gosh-darned fearful about defending Epstein’s victims. “There’s a number of eyes these, and we need to guarantee that once we do produce the supplies that we’re producing, that we’re defending each single sufferer.”
This excuse may land higher if Blanche’s boss, Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi, hadn’t bragged again in February about how she very sternly requested all of the Epstein paperwork for her evaluate. Or talked about how she was ready to review the Epstein shopper checklist sitting on her desk immediately, solely to later backtrack and say there was no such factor. Or if the DOJ hadn’t announced again on July 7 that it had completed its “exhaustive evaluate of investigative holdings referring to Jeffrey Epstein.”
If any of this stuff had been really true, these paperwork would have been reviewed a number of occasions, making a last-minute scramble to find out the place victims’ names appeared and get them redacted pointless.
And it’s not just like the administration didn’t know this was coming. Positive, they labored evening and day to cease the discharge, and positive, Home Speaker Mike Johnson principally shut down the Home of Representatives to assist, however on condition that the general public strain on this has been unrelenting for months, the DOJ may have been reviewing and redacting all alongside.
Sadly, when the administration thumbs its nostril at yet one more regulation, what on earth can be the recourse? Congress was barely in a position to get it collectively to go a regulation requiring the discharge. America Supreme Courtroom appears very prepared to agree that if Trump doesn’t need to comply with legal guidelines, he doesn’t should.
Associated | Epstein kept photos of Trump, young women, and sex toys
Nevertheless, the Democrats on the Home Oversight Committee are well taking part in the lengthy sport right here, releasing material in bits and pieces with no mounted schedule. Maintain that risk hanging over the heads of Trump and the DOJ, Home Democrats.
Blanche and Bondi aren’t of their roles to execute the legal guidelines, they’re there to guard Trump. And if meaning breaking the regulation, they don’t care.
