‘Men need to be perp-walked’ after Epstein files release, Massie tells BBC
A GOP lawmaker says the Epstein document releases are still falling short—because redactions and withheld material may be blocking accountability and survivor-centered justice.
Mar 25, 2026
Sources
Summary
Rep. Thomas Massie told the BBC he won’t be satisfied with the Epstein file releases until victims see real accountability, including arrests and prosecutions. The piece largely treats the current fight as a dispute over DOJ transparency and cross-border cooperation, while leaving readers without concrete clarity on what the new “drops” actually contain and what is legally possible next. This matters because selective disclosure and muddled expectations about prosecutions can further harm survivors and distort public trust in the justice system.
Reality Check
The core dispute described here is not just “release vs. cover-up,” but what the government can lawfully disclose without exposing victims’ identities, distributing illegal abuse imagery, or damaging active investigations.
Even if more material is released, document disclosure alone does not create arrests: prosecutions require admissible evidence, viable charges within statutes of limitation (or applicable exceptions), and cases built to protect victims from further harm.
A survivor-centered benchmark is clearer than “more documents”: whether investigators can credibly bring charges, protect victims’ privacy, and explain—specifically—what categories are being withheld and why.
Detail
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) told BBC Newsnight that “men need to be perp-walked” and said he is “not satisfied until the survivors are satisfied.”
Massie criticized the US Department of Justice for redacting or withholding parts of its Epstein-related material after complying with a law he co-wrote compelling release.
DOJ officials said they released all files except items permitted to be exempt; Massie alleges some redactions were improper and says he has viewed unredacted files as part of a lawmaker review process.
US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said roughly three million items were not released due to reasons including personal medical files, graphic child-abuse material, or risks to investigations; Blanche and Attorney General Pam Bondi said nothing was withheld for embarrassment or political sensitivity.
Massie contrasted the US with the UK, saying the UK is “the only place that we’re seeing arrests.”
The article says Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Peter Mandelson were arrested in the UK on suspicion of misconduct in public office over connections to Epstein and later released under investigation; both have denied criminal wrongdoing as described.
Massie said DOJ should share unredacted Epstein material relevant to London Metropolitan Police investigations and indicated he believes sharing is occurring.
Massie said he wants to see documents related to Epstein’s 2008 plea deal.
Newsnight also interviewed five survivors together; Massie commented on the power imbalance between Epstein and the girls he abused.