Justice Department CAUGHT pulling Epstein CON

He aired on the side of overcollecting. of materials from various sources to. best mure ensure maximum transparency. and compliance which necessarily means. that the number of responsive pages is. significantly smaller than the total. number of pages initially collected. That's why I mentioned a moment ago. we're releasing more than 3 million. pages today and not the the 6 million. pages that that we that we collected. >> This is Democracy Watch. Mark, that was. the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch. basically coming out and saying that as.

far as the Epstein files are concerned. They're not releasing the 6 million. documents that we were told that. existed, but instead they're just going. to release 3 million documents and. somehow that should plate everybody. So, first and foremost, can you give your. reaction to this idea that there are 3. million fewer documents being released. now than there were before? >> I mean, this is a truly Orwellian. performance as you saw in the clip. like. he's actually telling us like, "Hey. everyone, really good news. You see, we.

could give you all the Epstein files by. giving you six million pages, but really. what we've done is give you three. million files, three million pages, which is all the Epstein files." I mean, Brian, I'm going to make a prediction. right now. There is no chance we have. now seen the last of the Epstein files. I mean, let's just review the bidding. We were told a year ago almost uh a year. ago like in a couple in a month or so. that you know volume one of the Epstein.

files were produced, right? And it was. like it was like this little notebook. Remember that? >> Yeah. Well, the the binders that all. these right-wing influencers were were. waving around, >> right? And that would lead you to. believe that if that was volume one, you. know, maybe volume two might be. [laughter] a little bit bigger, right? So that we we had that. Then we had, you. know, Pam Bondi telling the [snorts] um. FBI she wanted all of the files. delivered to her office. Uh and so they. were going to have all the files in the. spring. Then in July, we were told that.

they had searched every file cabinet and. disc and everything and they had. collected 300 gigabytes and that they. had all the upstate files. Then, you. know, the legacy media after the. Congress passed this law, remember on. December 19th, you know, the when when. the 12,000 pages came out, the DOJ was. like, well, we may have just a few more. documents, you know, over the next. couple of weeks. We're working really. fast. And then it turns out that was. one. They said that was only 1%. Well, guess what? That was only 1% if there.

had only been 2 million records. Now, it. turns out there were 6 million. So it. wasn't even it wasn't even 1% it was a. fraction and a fraction of 1%. So look. >> they're just rope-addoping this like. they are just you know put pushing these. documents out little by little hoping. that the legacy media will move move on. and say good job administration you've. done you know you've done everything you. were supposed to do when you and I and.

everyone watching this video know it's. just a load of To that end, I. mean, the reality is that in terms of. the distraction machine being fired up, we did see today, the same day that we. got this announcement about the Epstein. files, the Trump administration also. decide to arrest Don Lemon. And so. there's there's plenty of things that. they're doing. Do you think that what. we're seeing right now are efforts by. the Trump administration to take our. attention off of one thing and put it on. another? And and by the way, this is not. to say that focusing on the arrest of a.

journalist is somehow just a. distraction. I think that's too. reductive. I think unto itself that's. just as important as everything else. But let's let's not delude ourselves. into thinking that this administration. doesn't still abide by this um this. Steve Bannon mentality of throwing the. throwing uh uh flooding the zone with. >> Yeah. I actually think it's the reverse. So I think they really worry about the. Epstein Files because Donald Trump. really cares about the Epstein Files, right? Donald Trump doesn't care one way.

or the other what journalists he he. throws in jail. Yeah. Donald Trump. doesn't care one way or the other what. civil liberties he he tramples on. He. doesn't feel sorry or any normal empathy. for people who are being, you know, uh. beaten or pepper- sprrayed or or killed, right? So for for the people around him, it's I think the reverse of what you're. suggesting. they are picking otherwise. busy news days to drop the Epstein files. so that the Epstein files don't dominate.

the news, right? It's not it's not to. drown out the other stuff. It's to make. sure that Donald Trump as he's sitting. there with the clicker, you know, scrolling through to uh [laughter] old. Fox and Friends segments. Um you know, he doesn't come across too much Epstein. files because that's the thing that he. really cares about. And by the way, Brian, it's let's be honest, it's the. only thing that has really hurt him. politically with his own base. And so I. think they are looking for every. opportunity to meter out Epstein files,

bury it against otherwise busy news. periods like the one we've been in, and. hope that the legacy media just kind of. moves on and says, "Well, it sounds like. 3 million pages got released. That's a. lot." And meanwhile, Todd Blanch is. like, "Yeah, but there were six million, but we're giving you 3 million." And so. that that's really great. >> Yeah. All right. So the big question. here becomes if there are 3 million uh. uh secreted documents, hidden documents, suppressed documents, is there some way.

for members of Congress, survivors, the. Epstein estate, whoever it may be to. compel the release of the remaining. documents? Like what avenues do we have. at our disposal to make sure that we can. actually gain access or gain visibility. into the documents that are remaining? And I and I want you to answer that. question in just a moment. But first, uh, for anybody who's watching, if you'd. like to support the invaluable work that. Mark is doing, and he's covering the. Epstein files extensively along with. every other threat to democracy and um,

and illegal or extrajudicial action or. behavior this administration is taking, the best way to do that is to subscribe. to Democracy Docket, which is the news. outlet Mark founded to focus on. everything voting, election, legal news. So, I'm going to put that link right. here on the screen and also in the post. description of this video, especially in. this moment where legacy media is. failing to meet the moment with the. urgency that it deserves. This is the. kind of independent media we should be. supporting. >> All right. So, Mark, on that point, >> answer your let me answer your question. >> I think that um I have been quite. impressed by the work of Roana uh.

congressman from California, Robert. Garcia, also congressman from. California, Tom Massie, uh very. conservative congressman from Kentucky. sentence I never words I never thought I. would hear you say but yes. >> Yeah. But but let's be honest uh Brian. they the the the congressional effort to. get these records has been pretty. successful. Like we wouldn't be where we. are. You know as much as you know I I. don't think we ought to accept half. measures. We would not be where we are.

without the work of those members of. Congress and and I'm sure you've. probably interviewed many others that. you could add other names to. But I. think that the answer to your question. is we need those members of Congress to. continue to push and push and push for a. special master to look at those other 3. million records for there to be, you. know, additional congressional oversight. and and and subpoenas for challenging. the redactions. You know, we're still. seeing a lot of records come through. here that are heavily redacted. uh and. and you know there were limitations in.

law on that. So I think right now the. best hope we have is honestly keeping. those members of Congress who have. achieved this much focused on this. >> Mark, what's your degree of confidence. that we will see some type of successful. legal effort to compel a special master? Or do you think the DOJ is going to be. so vehemently opposed to this that even. if Roana and Thomas Massie or the. survivors bring some lawsuit to compel a. spe special master that we're still. going to see uh the DOJ stand in the.

way? >> Look, I think the best thing for people. who want all the Epstein files to come. out and for all the explanation to be. given that that Congress required in the. law, they also required explanations of. redactions. Um and to really put this to. rest, what we need is to elect a. Democratic Congress. Yeah, right. Because like and this is no disrespect. to Thomas Massie like like he has been, you [snorts] know, he has been straight. up on this, but a Democratic Congress. would be able to go to court as Congress. and say not, you know, I'm Roana and I'm.

um Thomas Massie, but like the House of. Representatives itself saying we want. this done and that just puts them in a. very different position. And right now. the speaker is preventing. the the body itself, the institution. itself from taking action. >> Can can we this might be a little bit in. the weeds, but can you explain how. Congress as an entity would have. standing to bring a lawsuit because. Congress I mean Congress in theory if if. they're responsible for every law, every.

federal law that's passed. And so in. theory you could have Congress suing. left and right for you know for every. law. But isn't it the people who the. laws are created um who the laws are. created for who actually have harm in. this scenario? So in this scenario, wouldn't it be more the survivors who. actually have standing and not Congress. since yes, they created the law, but. they created every law and so how can. they bring this to court? >> Right. The reason why I think they'd. have standing here, it's a good, it's a. really fair question, but I the reason. why I think they'd have standing here is. that actually if you look at the law,

what it says is that these records have. to be released to Congress, to members. of Congress. And so, Congress is. actually the one who is supposed to. benefit in this, >> right? Congress is the beneficiary here. >> from the records, right? And so, Congress would have standing under that. theory. The other thing is, of course, Congress could just issue a subpoena. that just calls for all these records, right? And then go to court to to. enforce the subpoena, right? So, they. kind of have a couple of different ways. to get at this. That's not to say that. there are not other private pl private.

parties that that could bring claims, and I encourage others to do so, but. that's putting a lot of responsibility. on the victims and others when, you. know, really the House of. Representatives would be in a position. to do this. And and to your point, it's. not going to happen so long as Mike. Johnson is speaker of the house because. he would never dare uh issue a subpoena. to the executive branch in that he views. the legislative branch as merely um some. arm that's contracted all of its. autonomy over to Trump. >> Right? And this is look, this is the. reason why we have a constitutional.

crisis right now. I mean, we have a. constitutional crisis around a lot of. things, including the fact that the. executive branch, you know, uh, uh, ignores court orders, including the fact. that the president, you know, bombed, you know, ships or dropped, uh, you. know, munitions on ships and then, uh, then, uh, took military action in. Venezuela. the fact that the the uh. president has sent the National Guard. into various cities, the fact that he's. got a paramilitary force uh right now in. Minneapolis and elsewhere, like we have. a lot of instances of executive branch.

overreach and and violating the. Constitution and where Congress is the. one entity that could stand up to them. But as you say, Mike Johnson's not going. to do that. John Thun's not going to do. that. And so if you want to re in this. lawless president, yes, the courts have. to do their part. Yes, I am critical. when they don't and I praise them when. they do, but honestly, our. constitutional system was really set up. to really have Congress be the check on. the president, not the courts in the.

first instance. And as you say, under. Republicans, that is never that is never. that that just is never going to take. place. I would, by the way, strongly. recommend um and maybe you could put a. link here. you know, you did a series. with um Jamie Rascin, who in addition to. being a uh a very very smart member of. Congress, uh it was also a. constitutional law professor. And I I I. I think people would be really well. worth their time to spend some time. watching those videos. I think it was a. whole series watching those videos. because you really do get a very good.

overview of a lot of these issues. >> I'm going to put a link to uh to my. channel and you just scroll down to. class with Jamie Raskin. a whole I think. eight video series uh where he describes. and explains constitutional law. He was. a constitutional law professor at. American University. And each of those. episodes have at least like one or one. and a half million views, some as many. as four million because it's a if you've. ever watched Jamie Raskin speak and wish. that you could sit in a classroom and. learn with learn through him or by him, this is the way to do it. >> Yeah. And people and people who you know.

people will who are non lawyers will. come up to me and say you know I really. wish you know I like the way Mark you. you talk and I wish you would do like an. online class about constitutional law. and like that isn't that isn't something. I'm going to do um at least not anytime. soon but I always say like the fact is. Jamie Rascin was actually a. constitutional law professor like he he. has done the work of putting together. syllabuses and and these materials and. and and as you say you know the numbers. speak for themselves. a number of people. who have watched those videos, myself.

included, and I've learned from watching. those videos. Uh, but they are not. geared, you don't need to go into them. with a huge amount of expertise in the. law. You know, they're really geared. towards everyone. So, I encourage them. But, you know, Brian, on the Epstein. files, I mean, we're not going to get a. straight answer from this White House. We need Democrats in Congress to do it. But in the meantime, like I said, we we. do want to I do want to give credit to. the members of Congress on a bipartisan. basis who have fought this White House.

to get as much as we get. It's it's. laughable that Todd Blanch, you know, plays this rope a doe game, but um we. are making slow and steady progress to. getting all of those records. Last. question here. In terms of the practical. reality of the moment that we're in. right now with Republicans in control. with, you know, the Mike Johnson and and. John Thun serving as mere uh uh mere. extensions of of Donald Trump, what. would you want to see happen next to. ensure more transparency on the Epstein.

files? What is the next step that you. would like to see from Congress or any. entity to get more transparency here? Yeah, I think the next big fight is not. actually over more records because I. think I I strongly suspect that Blanch. is just going to like lower the the. hammer. I think he I think he did this. press conference to basically say, "Yeah, there you may hear, you know, to. sort of pre-butt like yes, you may hear. there were 6 million records, you got 3. million, that's who you're getting.". Yeah, >> I think the next fight um the next the. shark closest to the boat so to speak is.

over the redactions because you can just. imagine what has been redacted beyond. that which has to be which is obviously. the victim's names. And I think if I. were members of if I were to make an ask. of members of Congress, it would be to. have their staffs get access to the. unredacted files in some confidential. setting and and review whether or not. there has been too much redaction and. also to hold the administration to the. law which requires them to explain in. writing to Congress why things were.

redacted. And we have not seen those. explanations. We are way past the. deadline for that. And I think that is. my next ask of members of Congress and. maybe the next time you talk to Roana. Uh I doubt Tom Massie comes on your. [snorts] uh your show, although that I I. would pay Brian to see you and Tom. Massie do an episode together. >> It's not it's not for lack of trying. Uh. with that said, Mark, you have been. doing excellent coverage of all of this. So again, highly highly highly recommend. for anybody who's watching right now to. get that coverage delivered straight to.

your inbox and to support the work that. Mark is doing. Remember, Mark is. litigating 80 cases across the country, including 24 cases where the only thing. standing between the Trump. administration gaining access to your. private voter data and and keeping that. data secret at the state level, private. at the state level, is Mark and his. team. So, a small step we can all take. to support the invaluable work that. they're doing is to sign up for. Democracy Docket. I'm going to put that. link right here on the screen and also. in the post description of this video. And of course, if you'd like to see more. episodes of Democracy Watch, that.

subscribe button's on the screen as. well. I'm Brian Tyler Cohen. >> I'm Mark Elias. >> This is Democracy Watch. [music].