The Government Accountability Office announced on Tuesday that it has launched an investigation into the Department of Justice's handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, focusing on the agency's redaction decisions and compliance with federal law.

The nonpartisan GAO, at the request of a bipartisan group of senators, will examine how the DOJ determined redactions in the roughly 3.5 million pages of documents released last year. The probe includes the number of employees involved in reviewing the files before and after the Epstein Files Transparency Act took effect, the role of political appointees in approvals, and the removal of some records from the DOJ website.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in November 2025, required the DOJ to publish all unclassified records related to Epstein's investigations, including materials on Ghislaine Maxwell, flight logs, and references to government officials. The law mandated releases in a searchable format by December 19, 2025, with reports to Congress on any withholdings or redactions. It prohibited redactions based on reputational harm or political sensitivity, allowing them only to protect victims' privacy and national security.

The DOJ missed the deadline by more than a month and faced criticism for errors in the releases. Documents included unredacted victim information, such as email addresses and nude photos, leading to re-victimization complaints. At the same time, information on alleged co-conspirators and powerful figures appeared heavily redacted. Thousands of files were later pulled from the DOJ site without explanation.

At least one victim has sued the DOJ and Google over the disclosure of identifying information. The controversy follows years of public interest in Epstein, who died in 2019 while in federal custody, and ongoing scrutiny of his associates.