Judge Threatens Contempt Over Withheld Epstein Files, Warns It Could Haunt DOJ Lawyers' Careers

A federal judge has warned Justice Department lawyers that failing to comply with orders to release Jeffrey Epstein-related records could lead to contempt proceedings that may follow them for the rest of their careers.

Judge Emmet Sullivan of the DC District Court pressed the Justice Department on Thursday over why some records connected to Epstein investigations still have not been released. The case was filed by journalist Katie Phang, who is seeking access to FBI documents tied to Epstein and asking the court to lift some redactions of names appearing in emails to the late sex offender.

Sullivan made clear he was not satisfied with the department's explanations so far.

'The public has a right to know what the hell is going on in this case,' Sullivan said during the hearing. 'The victims have a right to know. The court has a right to know.'

He added that 'the law is still in full force and effect' and said the court was focused on ensuring compliance.

Missing Notes and Foreign-Language Records

Sullivan questioned why handwritten notes taken by FBI agents during witness interviews were not included in the millions of pages the Justice Department has already released. He also criticised the department for withholding Epstein-related documents written in foreign languages.

Another issue concerned the Federal Register. Sullivan asked why the Justice Department had not said when it planned to publish explanations for redactions made in the Epstein files, a step required by Congress. DOJ lawyer Andrew Block offered little more in court.

'I have nothing else to say,' Block told the judge.

That answer did not end the matter. Instead, Sullivan turned to a warning rooted in one of the most infamous prosecutorial misconduct cases in modern Justice Department history.

Sullivan Invokes Ted Stevens Case

Sullivan spent nearly half an hour recounting the criminal case against former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, which he oversaw almost two decades ago. Stevens was convicted of corruption in 2008 and lost his re-election bid that year. But the conviction was later wiped away after Sullivan found that Justice Department prosecutors had withheld documents from the defence.

Stevens died in a plane crash in 2010. Sullivan told the lawyers in the Epstein case that the Stevens matter had deeply shaped the way he views government lawyers and compliance with court orders.

'I told the attorneys I had no choice; I was holding each one of them in contempt,' Sullivan said, recalling the earlier case.

'That's Not a Threat, It's a Promise'

Sullivan said he had previously been willing to sanction Justice Department lawyers and refer them for bar discipline when he believed they had failed to comply with court orders. He warned that a contempt proceeding could become a permanent stain on a lawyer's career.

'That's not a threat. It's a promise,' Sullivan said.

At the same time, he repeatedly stressed that the lawyers before him were 'not in trouble'.

'I'm just putting everyone on the same page,' he said. 'I'm just having a conversation.'

After the judge opened the floor for responses, no lawyer stood up.

The hearing underscored growing pressure on the Justice Department to explain what remains hidden in the Epstein files and why.