---
title: "Rand Paul says partial release of Epstein files ‘big mistake’ for Trump administration"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/270411407.md"
description: "Sen. Rand Paul criticized the Trump administration's partial release of Epstein files, calling it a \"big mistake\" that could trouble them for months. He urged full transparency, suggesting all information should be released as required by law. The DOJ released thousands of files, but concerns remain over the extent of redactions, potentially violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act."
datetime: "2025-12-21T19:30:50.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/270411407.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/270411407.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/270411407.md)
---

> Supported Languages: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/270411407.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/270411407.md)


# Rand Paul says partial release of Epstein files ‘big mistake’ for Trump administration

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on Sunday he thinks it’s a “big mistake” for the Trump administration to release heavily redacted files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying the issue could now “plague them for months.”

“I think it’s a big mistake,” Paul said in an interview on ABC News’s “This Week,” when asked about concerns about the Justice Department’s partial release of files on Friday.

“I mean, look, the administration has struggled for months and months with something they initially ginned up and then sort of tried to tamp down. So, any evidence or any kind of indication that there’s not a full reveal on this, this will just plague them for months and months more,” he continued.

“So, my suggestion would be: Give up all the information … be transparent and release everything the law requires of you,” Paul added.

The Justice Department on Friday released a tranche of thousands of Epstein-related files, including public court records, photographs, flight logs and other materials.

The release came a month after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act with a 30-day deadline for the federal government to release its Epstein files, which expired on Friday.

The legislation included narrow parameters specifying what information could be redacted, but Democrats and other proponents of the bill have suggested the volume of redacted material appears not to be in compliance with the law. DOJ is required to produce specific explanations for each item justifying the decision to redact.

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