Raskin asks the Justice Department why it turned away state and foreign Epstein investigators

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to Attorney General Todd Blanche on October 21 asking why the Justice Department has declined to help state and foreign investigations that grew out of the Epstein files.

The letter, also addressed to Vaughn A. Ary, director of the department’s Office of International Affairs, asks for all records of requests for legal assistance from foreign countries investigating Epstein’s potential co-conspirators. It also asks for all records of decisions to deny information or cooperation to any state or local law enforcement agency.

The requests

Law enforcement agencies in Poland, Norway, Britain and Latvia asked the department for evidence, information or testimony, and those requests were not granted, The Washington Post reported last month. The department has not explained why.

New Mexico has gone to court instead. The state sued the department in August, saying it had blocked access to unredacted records. In filings this month, the department argued that releasing those records would hinder law enforcement operations, and it has called the state’s request overly broad.

“States should not have to take the federal government to court to obtain evidence,” said Lauren Rodriguez, a spokesperson for New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez.

What happens next

The Justice Department confirmed it received the letter and said the request is being reviewed. It is not required to comply.

Democrats have said that if they win a House majority in the November 3 election, they plan more hearings and would have the votes to issue subpoenas.

The department has brought no charges arising from the millions of pages of Epstein records it has released.