Speaker Johnson says he disapproves of Justice Department logging lawmaker searches of Epstein files

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson voiced concern Thursday over reports that the Justice Department has been monitoring lawmakers’ search histories as they review less-redacted files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Speaking to reporters, Johnson offered a rare criticism of the Trump administration: “I think members should obviously have the right to peruse those at their own speed and with their own discretion. I don’t think it’s appropriate for anybody to be tracking that,” he said. “I will echo that to anybody involved with the DOJ — and I’m sure it was an oversight.”

The controversy emerged when photographs surfaced showing Attorney General Pam Bondi at a House Judiciary Committee hearing with a document labeled “Jayapal Pramila Search History,” listing documents the Democratic congresswoman had apparently reviewed during her examination of the Epstein files. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who had questioned Bondi during the hearing about the department’s handling of the Epstein investigation, called the tracking “totally unacceptable” and promised lawmakers would demand “a full accounting” of the practice.

“Bondi has enough time to spy on Members of Congress, but can’t find it in herself to apologize to the survivors of Epstein’s horrific abuse,” Jayapal wrote on social media platform X.

The Justice Department defended its actions in a statement, explaining that it “logs all searches made on its systems to protect against the release of victim information.” However, the statement did not address why Bondi brought information about lawmakers’ search histories to a congressional hearing.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate what he described as “spying” on members of Congress. In a strongly worded statement, Raskin said the Justice Department was not only withholding records from lawmakers “but now Bondi and her team are spying on members of Congress conducting oversight in yet another blatant attempt to intrude into Congress’s oversight processes.”

This dispute comes as bipartisan congressional interest in the Epstein case continues to grow. Last month, the Justice Department announced the release of more than 3 million pages of documents, along with over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images related to investigations of the late financier, who was charged with sex trafficking before his death in prison in 2019.

Multiple lawmakers have visited a Justice Department facility to review less-redacted versions of the Epstein files, but some have expressed frustration that significant information about Epstein’s associates remains hidden from view. The case has attracted intense scrutiny due to Epstein’s connections with prominent political, business, and entertainment figures.

Raskin called on the Justice Department to “immediately cease tracking any Members’ searches, open up the Epstein review to senior congressional staff, and publicly release all files—with all the survivors’ information, and only the survivors’ information, properly redacted—as required by federal law.”

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Congress and the Justice Department over transparency and oversight, particularly in high-profile cases involving potential political sensitivities. It also underscores the continuing public interest in the Epstein case and the persistent questions about who might have been involved in or had knowledge of his alleged crimes.

The controversy adds another layer of complexity to an already contentious relationship between congressional oversight committees and the Department of Justice during the Trump administration, with members from both parties expressing concerns about transparency and the proper boundaries of executive branch agencies when dealing with legislative oversight functions.