A federal judge has told the Trump Justice Department to give unredacted versions of several documents related to Jeffrey Epstein for private court review. According to MeidasTouch News, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan asked Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to provide the documents and proof supporting the department’s claims about why some parts were redacted.
This comes from a lawsuit by MeidasTouch co-founder Katie Phang, who is challenging the Trump administration’s actions under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The law, passed by Congress last year, says the government must release most of its Epstein-related records.
The judge isn’t accepting the Justice Department’s reasons for redacting the documents without proof.
Instead, he has asked the department to provide supporting documents by 3:00 p.m.ET on July 30.
NEWS: In Katie Phang's lawsuit, a federal judge has ordered Trump's DOJ to hand over unredacted Epstein records for his private review, signaling he won't simply accept the government's explanations for its sweeping redactions.https://t.co/LKCqPUxAZi
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 25, 2026
Judge Sullivan’s order requires Blanche to send eight unredacted email chains, with specific Bates numbers, for private review.
The department also has to include evidence showing the names blacked out in those emails are protected victims.Another document must be submitted unredacted, along with proof that the names removed from “to” and “from” fields belong to law enforcement.A third document also needs to be unredacted, with support for the claim that the redacted names are victims.
The review will be done in camera, meaning it happens privately in the judge’s chambers, not in public court.
Sullivan based this on past rulings that allow courts to review sensitive materials privately.
This order follows an earlier ruling where Sullivan said the Justice Department had not properly addressed Phang’s arguments.
He noted that the Attorney General did not respond seriously and had admitted to violating the law.
That ruling also rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit and said the Administrative Procedure Act lets Phang’s case continue.
Sullivan also asked the department to either share more information or give stronger reasons for keeping it secret.
The administration’s handling of the records has come under scrutiny, including comments from Vance on the messaging around the Epstein files controversy.
Phang shared the order on Saturday, saying, “Judge Sullivan has just ordered Blanche to produce, in camera (in chambers), the UNREDACTED emails & documents, and Blanche must bring documentation supporting his representations the DOJ’s redactions are what he claims they are.”
She added that she wasn’t allowed to be present during the in-camera review, but she said it was worth asking for.
She also noted that the order shows the judge doesn’t automatically believe what the Acting Attorney General says and has required him to “prove it.”
The Justice Department has denied admitting any law violation and says it plans to appeal Sullivan’s earlier ruling.
Separately, Trump has taken legal action against the Wall Street Journal for its coverage of his ties to Epstein.
Before any appeal in Sullivan’s case moves forward, Blanche must submit the unredacted records to the judge for private review, allowing Sullivan to check if the redactions align with what the department claims.
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