Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference on a new “Democratic initiative to lower costs,” in the U.S. Capitol, Dec. 17, 2025.
Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday that he will force the Senate to vote on suing the Department of Justice for the full release of files relating to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Schumer’s announcement came three days after the DOJ missed last week’s deadline to release all of the documents required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November.
All documents were required by the law to be released on Friday with minimal redactions. Only a fraction of the total files relating to Epstein have been released so far.
“Instead of transparency, the Trump administration released a tiny fraction of the files and blacked out massive portions of what little they provided,” Schumer said in a statement. “Republicans should again show that same support for upholding the bipartisan law we passed and demand the Trump administration release all the Epstein files.”
Schumer’s resolution would force Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to “initiate or intervene in one or more civil actions in the name of the Senate in a Federal Court of competent jurisdiction” to compel the release of the Epstein files.
Schumer intends to force consideration of the resolution when the Senate reconvenes in the New Year. Senate Republicans previously joined with Democrats to unanimously pass the law requiring the release of the Epstein files.
Over the weekend, several photos, including one that contained images of Trump’s face, were removed from the Justice Department’s repository for the Epstein files. The photos were later restored. Trump has long denied any wrongdoing in association with Epstein.
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In a statement on Monday, a group of Epstein survivors urged Congress to take legal action.
“We urge immediate congressional oversight, including hearings, formal demands for compliance and legal action, to ensure the Department of Justice fulfills its legal obligations,” the group said.
The DOJ has defended its rollout of the Epstein files, arguing it is working to review and redact material required by the law to protect the privacy of Epstein’s victims.
“This is an arduous process, as each document and photograph must be individually reviewed by the DOJ and the Southern District of New York for potential redactions to protect victims or potential victims,” the DOJ said in a fact sheet.
CNBC has reached out to the Justice Department for comment on Schumer’s resolution.
Other members of Congress who pushed for the release of the Epstein files, including Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche over the rollout of the Epstein Files.
CNBC is reaching out to the people identified in the photos or mentioned in the latest release of the Epstein files. All have denied wrongdoing previously. This article will be updated with their responses.
