Kuwait city: The US Justice Department's chief watchdog announced Thursday an audit to determine whether the department complied with federal law requiring the disclosure of investigative files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'Our preliminary objective is to evaluate the DOJ's processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act,' Acting Inspector General William M. Blierr said in a statement announcing the review under the Epstein Files Transparency Act by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

According to Anadolu Agency, the audit follows a missed Dec. 19 deadline for the full release of all unclassified material. While the department has since produced more than 3.5 million pages, survivors and lawmakers have criticized the disclosures as incomplete. The watchdog plans to focus on how the department collected responsive material, its methods for withholding or redacting specific information, and its processes for addressing issues that arise after publication.

US President Donald Trump signed the transparency legislation into law on Nov. 19, mandating the release of the records. The OIG said it may also consider addressing additional issues that emerge during the process and noted it will issue a public report once the audit is completed. Epstein died in custody at a New York detention facility in 2019 while awaiting prosecution on human trafficking allegations. His 2008 guilty plea in the US state of Florida resulted in a conviction for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.