EPSTEIN AUDIT: The DOJ's inspector general is launching a review of the department’s compliance with a law requiring it to release the Epstein files amid ongoing criticism that it hasn’t followed through with the legal requirements.
Critics on both sides of the political aisle have accused the DOJ of noncompliance in its handling of the files. Although the law only permits limited exceptions to disclosure, including to protect victims’ identities, many parts of the documents have been redacted.
The names and other information about survivors were also improperly disclosed during the initial release.
The DOJ Office of the Inspector General said in a statement that its preliminary goal is to evaluate the department’s “processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession.”
The office will investigate how the DOJ set guidelines for looking through the 6 million files, the directives it gave staff and its instructions on how the department would address “post-release publication concerns.” The office said it will consider other issues that may arise from the audit as well.
The controversy surrounding the files dominated much of former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s time leading the DOJ, and it’s not showing any signs of letting up with Blanche now in charge.
Blanche, as deputy attorney general, announced the DOJ completed its review of the files and released the final tranche in late January, but additional files were later revealed to still be withheld.
The inspector general review also comes as the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee continues its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Several high-profile figures are set to testify before the committee in the coming weeks, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Epstein’s former assistant.
▪ Detroit Free Press: Epstein sought access to Stellantis chair.
LEBANON CEASEFIRE: The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by three weeks following talks at the White House, Trump announced Thursday.
He wrote in a post on Truth Social that the ceasefire was extended after conversations that included “high ranking” representatives from Lebanon and Israel, Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa.
The extension builds on a previous 10-day ceasefire reached last week, a critical step in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran as the latter has insisted that Lebanon be included in a pause in hostilities.
Trump announced Tuesday that the ceasefire with Iran would be extended indefinitely to give time for negotiations to be concluded.
But the U.S. has continued to enforce its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said Thursday that it seized three tankers carrying oil from Iran.
The president ordered the Navy to “shoot and kill” any boat caught putting mines in the strait as the U.S. focuses on clearing mines that Iran placed in the waterway.
▪ The Hill: Trump rules out using nuclear weapon in Iran.
▪ The Hill: Pakistan’s turn from pariah to linchpin in peace talks.
RUSSIAGATE SETTLEMENT: The DOJ has settled a lawsuit with a former top campaign aide from Trump’s 2016 presidential bid over surveillance conducted on him as part of the FBI’s probe into Russian interference in the election.
Carter Page sued the DOJ in 2020, alleging the department and the FBI made a series of errors when seeking permission to conduct surveillance on him, resulting in “unlawful spying.” The agencies had been investigating whether Page was acting as a Russian agent.
Page denied any wrongdoing and was never charged in the so-called “Russiagate” probe.
The settlement only covers Page’s claims against the federal government and not the FBI. A source familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that the settlement was $1.25 million.
The lawsuit came after a DOJ inspector general report found in 2019 that the FBI was justified in investigating possible ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia but “serious performance failures” plagued the agency’s chain of command.
▪ The Hill: DOJ targets citizens in new denaturalization push.
ALMOST DONE DEAL: Warner Bros. Discovery’s board voted Thursday to approve the sale of the media company to Paramount Skydance in a key step toward forming what would create a massive entertainment giant.
The deal will still need approval from the DOJ to overcome antitrust questions. The company said the deal is expected to be cleared in the third quarter of this year.
If approved, the merger would have major implications for moviemaking and television production, along with CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
▪ BBC: What the merger could mean for streaming, film and the news.
PUSHED OUT: The person responsible for ensuring the editorial independence of the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes has been fired months after the Pentagon took over the outlet to remove "woke distractions."
The Washington Post reported Jacqueline Smith told the paper's staff in a message that she believes she was ousted as ombudsman for speaking against the Department of Defense's decision to overhaul Stars and Stripes.
“I knew it was risky to speak out, but my responsibility to Stripes and the First Amendment was paramount,” Smith said.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in January that the department would return Stars and Stripes to its "original mission" of "reporting for our warfighters." Newspaper staff are technically Defense Department employees but have been editorially independent from Pentagon leadership for decades.
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