Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Pass Second Epstein Files Transparency Act

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 16 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act II (EFTA II), legislation that would give state attorneys general and survivors the power to enforce accountability and transparency into the federal government’s records on Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Attorney General James and the coalition urge swift passage of EFTA II. The law is designed to fulfill the intent of the original Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA I), which requires the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to publicly release records related to Jeffrey Epstein. To date, the Trump administration has failed to comply with EFTA I.

“As New York’s top law enforcement officer, it is my duty to uphold the law and pursue justice for survivors of crimes,” said Attorney General James. “Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act to ensure accountability and transparency, but the federal administration has failed to release records as the law requires. Justice for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes requires full access to the record and I urge Congress to pass this legislation to ensure a complete disclosure of the facts.”  

Congress passed EFTA I to give survivors and the public access to the full investigative record of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. The law required DOJ to make the files publicly available by December 19, 2025. Nearly a year later, DOJ has not fulfilled its obligation under the law. In Phang v. Blanche, a federal court in the District of Columbia noted that the U.S. Attorney General conceded he is in violation of the EFTA I.

In their letter, Attorney General James and the coalition explain that DOJ released only a limited portion of the files on the December 19, 2025 deadline, and later disclosures also fell short. Millions of documents remain withheld, often on the basis of legal privilege. At the same time, the personal information of at least 43 victims was exposed in the files that were released, despite the protections written into EFTA I.

Attorney General James and the coalition emphasize that law enforcement and prosecutors at the state level need full access to unredacted investigative records to investigate and pursue matters within their jurisdictions. In addition, survivors continue to be denied closure and control over their own records.

EFTA II addresses the shortcomings of EFTA I to ensure full transparency. The bill would:

• Create an expedited right of action allowing state attorneys general, authorized state officials, victims, and members of Congress to sue the U.S. Attorney General in federal court for unlawfully withholding, delaying, or heavily redacting Epstein-related records;
• Give survivors the right to access unredacted records about themselves and the harms they suffered;
• Prevent DOJ from invoking common law privileges, such as the deliberative process privilege, to avoid the disclosure requirements Congress enacted; and
• Ensure federal officials who knowingly conceal, destroy, or improperly withhold mandated files face federal penalties.

Joining Attorney General James in sending the letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.