​​​​​​​WASHINGTON

Survivors of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein urged the US Justice Department’s acting inspector general on Wednesday to review the agency’s handling of files related to the case.

"We write as survivors of Jeffrey Epstein to formally request that the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conduct a review of the Epstein-related records already released pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act and oversee all future releases to ensure full compliance with U.S. law and basic standards of survivor protection," the survivors said in a letter sent to Acting Inspector General Don R. Berthiaume.

"The manner in which these materials were released reflects serious failures in redaction practices, survivor protection, and oversight. These failures have caused renewed harm to survivors and undermined trust in the institutions responsible for safeguarding sensitive information," they said.

Last month, the Justice Department said it would release the documents "as soon as possible" after the review as part of its obligations under the act, which was signed Nov. 19, as well as existing federal statutes and court orders.

But the agency said last week that it has released less than 1% of the files related to Epstein, while more than 2 million additional records remain under review for possible public release.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty in a court in the state of Florida and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008, but critics call the minor conviction a “sweetheart deal.”

His victims have alleged that he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was used by members of the wealthy and political elite.

Epstein’s case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims’ advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Their past social and business ties, as well as Epstein’s extensive links to political, business and academic figures in the US and abroad, have fueled calls for the broad release of official records.