A federal judge found that Todd Blanche, acting head of the Justice Department, violated a law concerning the release of Jeffrey Epstein files. The ruling came after a lawsuit argued the department failed to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The ruling highlights potential legal and ethical issues within the Justice Department's handling of sensitive information, particularly concerning high-profile individuals, and could lead to increased public scrutiny and transparency regarding the Epstein network.
A federal judge has found that Todd Blanche, the acting head of the Justice Department, violated a law concerning the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Blanche was nominated by President Trump for attorney general and his confirmation hearing is scheduled for next month.
Phang, a former MSNBC TV host who now publishes on Substack, filed a lawsuit in federal court in April. Phang argued that the Justice Department had failed to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law enacted following public outcry over the government's handling of investigations into Epstein and his associates.
Justice Department attorneys contended that Phang's lawsuit was invalid, asserting that the Epstein Files Transparency Act contained no provisions authorizing private suits for enforcement. However, Judge Sullivan ruled that the Administrative Procedure Act, a broad federal law mandating agency compliance with statutes, granted Phang the authority to sue.
Sullivan also noted that the Justice Department failed to meet a deadline to further explain its process for handling Freedom of Information Act requests pertaining to Epstein-related files. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Brendan Ballou, an attorney for Phang, stated that the ruling was the expected outcome given the department's response to the suit. "The government ignored its own law and blew off a judge’s order, all for the sake of protecting the very powerful and the very rich," Ballou said. "Doing so had consequences, and now the public will finally get transparency around Jeffrey Epstein and his network."