Court rejects independent monitor to oversee Epstein files release

A federal judge on Wednesday shot down a request by members of Congress to appoint an independent special master to oversee the Justice Department's handling of the release of the Epstein files, saying their request wasn't properly made.

Judge Paul Engelmayer said Reps. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, California Democrat, could file a separate lawsuit and try their luck that way.

But he said their attempt to raise the issue as part of the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the associate of Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted of sex trafficking, was improper.

"This criminal case does not give the court any charter to supervise DOJ's compliance with the [Epstein Files Transparency Act]. And the motion exceeds the bounds of permissible amici [friend of the court] participation," he said.