Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on Sunday said they are committed to holding Justice Department officials accountable for their failure to release all eligible Epstein files by Friday’s deadline, saying they're speaking with members of Congress about holding Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt.
"The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims, is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi," Massie told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday when asked about how Congress can force the Justice Department to release the rest of the files they have related to Jeffrey Epstein.
His comments come after Kaine, D-Va., on Sunday told NBC News' "Meet the Press" that calls to impeach Justice Department officials for their handling of the release of the Epstein files are "premature," after Khanna, on Friday floated the possibility of impeachment.
On Sunday, Kaine pointed to other mechanisms Congress has for prompting the Trump administration to release certain information.
"We have tools in appropriations bills and other tools to force compliance if somebody is dragging their feet, and I'd rather focus on those tools than get into discussions about contempt and impeachment," Kaine said.
He pointed specifically to a provision in a defense funding legislation that could limit Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget next year if the Defense Department doesn't release video of certain strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean.
Khanna and Massie last month spearheaded efforts in Congress last month to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which compelled the Trump administration to release all unclassified files it has related to Jeffrey Epstein by Dec. 19.
On Friday, the department released thousands of files, but not all the documents Khanna and Massie expected, leading to widespread condemnation of the Justice Department on both sides of the aisle.
Khanna told CNN on Friday that, “Congress is talking about possible impeachment. They’re talking about inherent contempt for the attorney general or deputy attorney general."
The California congressman added, “Any Justice Department official who has obstructed justice could face prosecution in this administration or a future administration."
Asked about Kaine’s comments, Khanna said that they “only need the House for inherent contempt," he added that "we’re building a bipartisan coalition and it would fine Pam Bondi for every day that she’s not releasing these documents.”
On Sunday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who appeared on "Meet the Press" just before Kaine, said that the complete files would be released, but that attorneys in the department were still working to redact information and photos related to Epstein's victims.
"We're going through a very methodical process with hundreds of lawyers looking at every single document and making sure that victims' names and any of the information from victims is protected and redacted, which is exactly what the Transparency Act expects," Blanche said.
He also responded to claims from Massie and Khanna about possible impeachment or contempt in Congress, saying he doesn't take the threats seriously, "not even a little bit."
"Bring it on," he added. "We are doing everything we’re supposed to be doing to comply with this statute. And Congressman Massey and these other congressmen that are coming out speaking negatively about director Patel and the Attorney General have no idea what they’re talking about."
Massie hasn't called for Congress to impeach Justice Department officials, but pointed to a provision in the Epstein Files Transparency Act that would allow future presidential administrations to prosecute current Justice Department officials who do not comply with the legislation's deadlines.
"A future DOJ could convict the current AG and others because the Epstein Files Transparency Act is not like a Congressional Subpoena which expires at the end of each Congress," Massie wrote in a post on X Friday.
On Sunday, Kaine also spoke about multiple undated photos of former President Bill Clinton that were released without context in the Epstein files on Friday, saying that Clinton "should address" the photos.
"If there are unanswered questions, you know, he should address them, and I suspect he will," the Virginia senator said. The former president has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson for Clinton said, "The White House hasn't been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they'll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn't about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be."
Blanche on Sunday said that the Justice Department does not currently plan to charge anyone based on anything in the released Epstein files.
"We are not prepared to bring charges against anybody, but we are learning new information all the time," he told "Meet the Press."
