LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Justice Department's internal watchdog is launching an audit to review how the agency handled records tied to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, according to LEX 18 News.

The DOJ Office of the Inspector General announced Thursday it will examine whether the department properly identified, redacted and released records as required under the law. A public report detailing the findings will be released once the review is complete, the office said.

The announcement comes amid bipartisan criticism of the Justice Department's handling of investigative files tied to Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. While millions of files have been released, critics have accused the department of selectively redacting the names of powerful figures while leaving some victims' identities unredacted in the documents.

The audit was announced days before former Attorney General Pam Bondi was scheduled to sit for a deposition with the House Oversight Committee regarding the Epstein files. The Justice Department informed lawmakers that Bondi would not testify because she is no longer serving as attorney general and was subpoenaed in that capacity. Bondi, who was attorney general when the law was passed in late 2025, had defended the department's handling of the files before leaving the role earlier this month after President Donald Trump announced she would move to the private sector.

House Oversight Committee lawmakers have indicated they could pursue contempt proceedings if Bondi does not eventually testify. The committee has also scheduled interviews with other figures as part of its investigation into the Epstein files release, continuing to examine what critics say has been an inconsistent approach to protecting both alleged victims and the identities of potentially implicated individuals.