C (5:42)

Well, this is the most significant release in history, and it has just been shocking and devastating. You know, I'm glued to your feed because even though I'm the author of the Epstein Transparency Act, Massey and I send your tweets to each other to find out exactly what's in this file, among other sources. And the reality is you have some of the most powerful people in this country, some of the wealthiest people in this country, basically emailing Jeffrey Epstein long after he's a convicted pedophile, showing up on Epstein's island where he's raping underage girls, asking to show up at parties knowing that underage girls were being paraded there. I mean, it is disgusting. And people are asking, how are rich and powerful people getting away with these things in American life? And what does this say about the rest of us?

B (6:40)

Now, last time we spoke, you mentioned that inherent contempt proceedings were being drafted. You were considering bringing them. Are we there yet? I mean, I feel like they've released half the files that they said they have in their possession. The redactions are a mess. They completely blew past the first deadline. Are we at inherent contempt?

C (7:00)

We have that in our back pocket. Look, since we've spoken, we've made a lot of progress, right? I mean, they had released basically nothing. Now they've released about half the files. The redactions are wrong. I mean, they have failed to redact some of the survivors. I've talked to the survivors lawyers who are furious, and they have shielded still powerful men whose names are in those files and redacted that. But Massey and I have requested a meeting with Blanchard, the deputy Attorney general. He was on one of the Sunday shows today saying he'll meet and open to that. And what we're going to do is pursue every avenue to get as much as possible while we have the contempt and impeachment drafted and ready to go. I do think that threat has really pushed the Department of Justice, in addition to our filings in court and making clear we're prepared to bring a lawsuit. So our goal is to get the files out, and we reserve the right to bring the. The contempt or impeachment at any moment. But that's sort of the final one of the final cards. And what we want to do is get as much out as possible without just using the nuclear option.

B (8:09)

Well, what do you want to hear from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche during this meeting when he inevitably sits down with you all?

C (8:16)

I want to hear and see the files that haven't been released. I want to see the redactions and what was redacted. I'm particularly concerned why the identities of people who are co conspirators aren't being released. I'm particularly concerned about why some of the men who abuse these girls are being protected. I understand the anger from the survivors lawyers and survivors about their names being in it. And I want to raise that. I mean, is there a process I, I don't believe, as incompetent as DOJ has been, that it was sinister to expose some of these survivors, But I can't understand if they're a third of the Southern District of New York on this, why these mistakes are being made. And are the survivors lawyers being consulted now?

B (9:05)

As part of the Epstein Files Transparency act that you wrote, there is a provision in there that requires DOJ to send a letter to Congress to provide for reasoning behind redactions. Was that letter transmitted yet?

C (9:16)

At this point now they have 15 days to do that. So we expect that we'll get that letter. But more than that, we want to meet with the Department of Justice, with Blanchard, maybe with Jay Clinton, the head of the U.S. attorney at the Southern District of New York. He has a reputation of being more transparent and try to understand how many more files we expect to see. They themselves have said that there are files that haven't been released that they plan to release to understand why some of the redactions were made and see if they're open to releasing the information that still has not come out.

B (9:51)

Do you agree with the DOJ's assessment that the way you all wrote the Epstein Files Transparency act, there is actually no enforcement mechanism. Like if they violate the law, there's nothing anyone can do to go after them. That's essentially what they argued in court recently.

C (10:05)

Well, well, they obviously don't believe that because they keep releasing files and they keep backpedaling and releasing more and more. And this one is a significant release. It's just a public dunk. And the reason they don't believe that is that people can be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. That's why we didn't include a specific cause of action. It's obstruction of justice to not release and comply with the law. And they know this. Look, they've got 300 or so assistant US attorneys in the Southern District of New York reviewing this. You can't, the files aren't even at the headquarters in D.C. the files are physically in the Southern District of New York. It's very hard for them to have Pam Bondi or the Deputy attorney general micromanaging 300 career attorneys to violate the law and asking these career attorneys to basically subject themselves to obstruction of justice or ruin their legal careers. And that's why I think you're seeing the kind of release that we are seeing. But there's still too much of a cover up. And that's why we're going to push to Release the remaining 50% with the appropriate protection of survivors. Not the appropriate protection of, or the inappropriate, not the inappropriate protection of rich and powerful people who abuse these girls.

B (11:18)

Now, Attorney General Bondi will be testifying on Capitol Hill February 11th. What do you want to hear from her during her testimony?

C (11:26)

I want to hear when we're going to get the remaining of files. I want to hear while why she said before Massey and I passed our law that there was nothing to be seen. I mean how did she miss all these millions of documents? And if we didn't, if we, she was lying then why should we believe her now? I want to understand who are the powerful people who are still being protected? Why have the names not been released to some of Epstein's co conspirators? And I want to understand if she's going to assess taking criminal action against some of the people who were on Epstein's island and, and, and abused some of these working class girls.

B (12:05)

Now before I let you go, the President of the United States today said that the release of the Epstein files, he was told, quote, absolve him. Is that an assessment that you agree with?

C (12:16)

First of all, this was never about Donald Trump. This is about a rot in our society that is so much deeper. I mean when you look at the names, some of them people I know, my heart sank. I mean you have some of the richest, most powerful people in tech and finance and politicians who are basically asking to go on Epstein's island and they have no sense that they're, they're going to pay a price. And people are looking at this saying what have rich and powerful people in this country gotten away with and why is it that they have to follow the rules that they, their lives are, are, are not improving and yet you have this elite class. Donald Trump is part of that elite class. He ran as an outsider, but the reality is he is exhibit A in all of the entanglement with what I've called the Epstein class. And people can look at the documents themselves. They can see all of the evidence and allegations against him. And I'll let people make that judgment because I don't want to be political about it. But it's fair to say that there is a class of people, a network of people who are playing by one set of rules, and, and that there is a group of people who abused working class girls. And that's horrendous.

B (13:35)

Congressman, thanks so much for joining me this evening.

C (13:37)

Thank you.

B (13:38)

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