Republican senators urged Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department to release any Epstein-related records that mention President Donald Trump.
They said that questions about withheld material will persist until the department discloses what it has and explains any redactions or delays.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said the department should publish the records while protecting victims and excluding explicit images.
"Release the documents. Redact the names of the victims. Don't release photographs, naked or otherwise, of minors. Release the documents. This is not going to go away until there is full disclosure," Kennedy said, according to The Hill.
Asked whether the administration should hold back unverified allegations described in FBI interviews, Kennedy said: "I don't know how else to say it: Release the documents."
He added that the department should use some discretion in good faith but aim for maximum transparency.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said reports that the department withheld files mentioning Trump would appear to conflict with what Congress intended when it passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
"I don't know what the circumstances are and whether there's legitimate reasons for redactions or withholding since he's currently in office, but that would seem to be contrary with the intent of the law," Collins said.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Congress was clear.
"I think when we pass a law that says that all documents need to be put out, it seems to me all documents need to be put out," Grassley said.
He said that he had not decided whether to hold a hearing on the department's compliance.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said it would be "concerning" if the department held back Epstein files that mention Trump. "If it's in fact true, it's concerning.
"Unless it fits the same filter as everyone else," Tillis said. "I've heard the reporting, but I haven't nailed it down."
Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York vowed to escalate pressure.
"The law requires the DOJ to release all the files, not just some of the files, not just the ones they pick and choose and want to do," Schumer said Thursday.
He said Democrats planned to use oversight tools and said a group of Senate Democrats would go to the Justice Department "in the coming days" to review unredacted Epstein files.
Democrats also asked the Justice Department and the FBI to preserve records tied to redaction and withholding decisions.
The dispute centers on reports that Epstein-related releases did not include FBI memos summarizing interviews with a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Trump and Jeffrey Epstein in the 1980s when she was a minor.
The White House has said Trump did nothing wrong regarding Epstein, and the Justice Department previously described the allegations as having no credibility.
The Justice Department told reporters that "the only materials that have been withheld were either privileged or duplicates."
It was later said that documents may have been withheld because of "an ongoing federal investigation."
Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025 after a 427-1 House vote and Senate approval by unanimous consent; President Trump signed it into law on Nov. 19, 2025.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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