DOJ Moves to Block Independent Monitor in Maxwell Case, Says Courts Cannot Force Epstein File Disclosures

The U.S. Department of Justice has formally moved to block the appointment of an independent monitor or special master to oversee the release of Epstein-related records in the long-closed criminal case of Ghislaine Maxwell—arguing that no federal court has the authority to compel such disclosures.

In a six-page letter filed tonight, to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, prosecutors contend that recent efforts by members of Congress to force production of the so-called “Epstein files” amount to an improper attempt to reopen a concluded criminal case and to create a form of judicial oversight that Congress itself did not authorize.

The DOJ begins by emphasizing that United States v. Maxwell is no longer an active criminal matter. Maxwell’s conviction was affirmed by the Second Circuit, and the Supreme Court denied certiorari in October 2025, rendering the judgment final. According to the government, only two narrow issues remain before the court: Maxwell’s collateral challenge under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 and the court’s supervision of a protective order governing discovery materials.