Former Attorney General Bill Barr is pushing back against critics accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi of defying the law over the release of Jeffrey Epstein files, calling the attacks a "farce" and warning Congress is demanding the impossible.
In a guest column for The Wall Street Journal on Friday, Barr argued that House Democrats — "aided by a handful of misguided Republicans" — set Bondi up for failure when they forced passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November.
The law ordered Bondi to publicly release all unclassified Epstein-related materials within 30 days.
That mandate, Barr noted, involves reviewing more than 5 million pages of records — "in linear feet more than three times the height of the Washington Monument."
"Ms. Bondi and her team at the Justice Department have done a commendable job," Barr wrote. "Contrary to the fulminations of critics, they have faithfully implemented the law as expeditiously as possible given the Herculean effort involved."
The Department of Justice began releasing documents in December, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledging that completing the review within 30 days was impossible and that more material would be released on a rolling basis.
Critics nevertheless accused Bondi of violating the law, with some calling for impeachment or censure.
Barr dismissed those claims outright.
"Anyone familiar with the realities of document production of this magnitude would understand the 30-day deadline was patently unreasonable," he wrote, explaining that just collecting, uploading, and organizing the files could consume most of the deadline.
Barr stressed that the law requires careful, page-by-page review to protect accusers' identities and ensure sensitive investigative details are not exposed.
"A tidbit of information might seem innocuous on its face, but when combined with other information from other records could reveal sensitive information," he wrote.
Legally, Barr argued, agencies are required to make a reasonable, good-faith effort — not achieve literal compliance with unrealistic deadlines. Courts, he said, recognize that Congress cannot "command the impossible."
Barr also rejected accusations that Bondi made improper redactions. He said the department correctly balanced the new statute with long-standing legal protections, including attorney-client privilege and privacy laws.
"In short, the attorney general is doing a conscientious and admirable job with the ridiculous hand Congress dealt," Barr concluded. "The attacks on her by the administration's opponents are political theater, a farce."
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