Joyce Vance says the government refused to provide Epstein material the transparency law called for
Joyce VanceLaw professor and former U.S. attorney, writing in her newsletter
After Judge Sullivan granted Phang's preliminary injunction, Vance writes that the material covered by the order is what the law required and that the government refused to provide it without giving reasons the law allows.
Responding to
The Justice Department has violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act by missing its Dec. 19, 2025 production deadline, redacting documents improperly and withholding records the law requires it to publish.
“It's material that the Act clearly called for production of and that the government simply refused to provide, without offering reasons that justified withholding it under the terms of the Act.”
Original text
Where this statement fits
Katie Phang sues Todd Blanche over the Epstein files; courts order the Justice Department to start reviewing foreign-language records, and DOJ says she cannot sue
Journalist and lawyer Katie Phang says the Justice Department has not complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordered the department to begin reviewing foreign-language records it had set aside, and the D.C. Circuit refused to pause that order on Oct. 28, 2026. The department says the law does not require that review and that Phang has no right to sue.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
Joyce Vance's newsletter post on the evening Sullivan granted Phang's preliminary injunction. It lists what the injunction requires and gives Vance's assessment of the department's compliance with the law.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Vance writes that the judge entered an injunction in Phang's favor that afternoon. She lists what it requires, including unredacting names in certain email exchanges and a draft indictment, turning over notes of FBI interviews with a victim, reviewing and producing foreign-language materials, and publishing redaction logs.
After the quotation
She writes that a federal judge has called the department's bluff, and later notes that the department would have to seek any stay from the D.C. Circuit because Judge Sullivan declined to grant one.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, including its decision not to review foreign-language records, as challenged in Phang's lawsuit. Vance says the government refused to provide material the law required, which condemns the department's handling.
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- Joyce Vance says the government refused to provide Epstein material the transparency law called for
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The Dispute Index. "Joyce Vance says the government refused to provide Epstein material the transparency law called for". First published: 2026-11-03. Last updated: 2026-11-03. https://disputeindex.com/events/8044-after-judge-sullivan-granted-phang-s-preliminary-injunction