Federal Judge Issues Warning to DOJ Lawyers Fighting Further Release of Epstein Files: 'The Public Has a Right to Know'
Judge Emmet Sullivan demanded answers from DOJ lawyers about Epstein file materials.
Aug. 14 2026, Published 4:05 p.m. ET
A federal judge issued a stark warning to Justice Department lawyers that they better not be holding back any records ordered released by the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Senior U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan informed them that he once brought down the legal hammer on three senior government prosecutors in contempt for misconduct, and he wasn't afraid to do it again today.
'The Victims Have a Right to Know'
Judge Sullivan said the victims of Epstein had a right to know what was going on with the Epstein files, even though main accuser Virginia Giuffre died in 2025.
"The public has a right to know what the h--l is going on in this case. The victims have a right to know. The court has a right to know," Sullivan, who was nominated to the federal bench by Bill Clinton, sternly told the DOJ legal team about how certain names were blacked out in released documents and the absence of handwritten FBI interview notes
"The law is still in full force and effect. The court is just ensuring compliance," the judge continued, referring to getting the answers he wanted involving the release of material in the government's files related to late s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein.
More Drama With the Epstein Transparency Act
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were arrested in 2019 on trafficking charges.
Independent journalist Katie Phang launched a bombshell legal assault on the Justice Department on April 27, accusing the government of brazenly flouting the Epstein Files Transparency Act and blowing past its Dec. 19, 2025, deadline to turn over a massive cache of records tied to the DOJ and FBI investigations into Epstein and his madam, convicted trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
Phang alleged the government deliberately kept troves of documents under wraps involving President Donald Trump and his connections to Epstein.
On June 25, Sullivan sided with Phang and ruled the government had effectively admitted it was violating the Epstein Act. He then ordered DOJ lawyers to show up at the latest's hearing ready to answer for their conduct.
At Thursday's hearing, DOJ attorney Andrew Block was left scrambling for answers as Sullivan relentlessly grilled him over the government's Epstein files redactions. Block struggled to explain why names had been blacked out or even offer a timeline for when the DOJ would finally publish its justifications in the Federal Register, as Congress requires.
Judge Sullivan Brought Up Holding DOJ Lawyers in Contempt
Judge Sullivan brought up the holding prosecutors in contempt in late Senator Ted Stevens' corruption case in the late 2000s.
Sullivan then recounted the last time he accused Justice Department prosecutors of misdeeds, during the corruption case against late Alaska Senator Ted Stevens in 2009.
Stevens was later killed in a plane crash the following year.
The jurist recalled how prosecutors had failed to come clean about their conduct and comply with orders to turn over required documents to the defense team until a whistleblower blew the lid off prosecutorial misconduct, ultimately prompting the veteran judge to hold DOJ attorneys in civil contempt.
Judge Sullivan Warned: 'That's Not a Threat. It's a Promise'
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The U.S. Department of Justice building seen in Washington D.C.
"I told the attorneys I had no choice; I was holding each one of them in contempt," Sullivan scolded the DOJ legal team present on Thursday. "I had no choice...how else was I going to ensure that justice was administered?"
Sullivan made it clear he has never been afraid to bring the full force of the bench down on Justice Department lawyers, warning he has sanctioned government attorneys in the past and even referred them for bar discipline when he believed they defied his orders.
The veteran judge also delivered an ominous warning about how devastating a contempt finding could be, stressing that such a black mark could permanently stain the DOJ's attorneys for the rest of their careers.
“That’s not a threat. It’s a promise. No one’s in trouble. I’m just bringing it to your attention,” Sullivan said. "I'm just putting everyone on the same page. I’m just having a conversation."
