Acting AG Todd Blanche asks judge to rescind proposed $1,000 daily fine over Epstein files

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is pleading with a federal judge to avoid a $1,000-a-day fine, marking the latest setback in an ongoing legal battle over the release of Epstein-related documents.

Background of the Lawsuit

The fine stems from a lawsuit brought by journalist Katie Phang, who has accused the Department of Justice of failing to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Phang sued the DOJ in April, alleging a "brazen, shocking, and ongoing violation" of the law, which President Donald Trump reluctantly signed in November.

Despite the Justice Department's repeated assertions that the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been conducted with "an unprecedented commitment to transparency," millions of files remain either missing or redacted.

Court Order and Non-Compliance

In June, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordered Blanche to produce previously redacted materials from the Epstein files, including:

• FBI notes from interviews with a woman alleging that Trump sexually assaulted her in the 1980s when she was 13 years old
• Email exchanges with Epstein regarding a "torture video"
• Identities of Epstein's potential co-conspirators

Sullivan gave Blanche until July 2 to produce the materials. When the acting attorney general failed to comply, Phang suggested a daily $1,000 fine until he did so.

Blanche's Response

Blanche lashed out Monday in a brief attacking Phang's argument as "outlandish," "absurd," and "hyperbolic rhetoric seeking to impose punitive sanctions" on the Department of Justice. He called her lawsuit "sensational and unsubstantiated," despite the fact that her argument is based on documented evidence.

Broader Context

Phang's ongoing lawsuit adds to Blanche's mounting challenges. His efforts to secure a permanent promotion to attorney general have faced significant obstacles, including:

• Days of tense confirmation hearings in the Senate
• An uncomfortable meeting with Epstein survivors
• Hundreds of Blanche's former colleagues opposing his nomination

Related Coverage:

• Epstein Victims Slam "Demoralizing" Meeting With Todd Blanche

Pentagon Faces Budget Deficit Amid Iran War

Pete Hegseth's Pentagon is not only running out of weapons as the war on Iran intensifies—it is also running out of money.

The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is facing an upcoming budget deficit caused directly by President Trump's war on Iran, forcing cuts to training, maintenance, and military preparations. Hegseth has also not been transparent or timely about the ultimate costs of the war, leading to further confusion and disarray.

"We need to know what we're purchasing and why we're purchasing it," Democratic Representative Betty McCollum, ranking member of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, told the Post, noting that other Pentagon officials were "very concerned" about the lack of information they were receiving.

The House is set to vote on a $73 billion defense package this week—more than the $67 billion the administration requested to help address the shortfall. That request has not been well received, as most Democrats oppose any new funding for the Iran war.

This news comes as the U.S. is also dealing with a dwindling stockpile of munitions.