Winco
Diamond Member
- Nov 1, 2019
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Why didn't Biden's DOJ do this?
If a list exists or existed why didn't the Garland DOJ hand it over to Pam?
Key Reasons Why the Files Weren’t Fully Released Under Biden
1.
Legal and Court Constraints
- Grand jury secrecy laws strictly protect materials like grand jury testimony and investigative files. Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) and similar state laws prohibit disclosure unless a court orders it—something the executive branch can’t override.
- Ongoing legal proceedings, notably Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial (convicted November 2021, sentenced 2022), meant many documents remained sealed to avoid interfering with judicial processes.
- Judges had previously denied release of certain records—including grand jury materials—citing victim privacy and procedural integrity.
2.
Protection of Victim Privacy
- The files contain highly sensitive content—some involving minors and graphic material. The DOJ and courts prioritized safeguarding victims’ identities and well-being over broad public disclosure.
3.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Independence & Political Norms
- The Biden administration emphasized the independence of the DOJ and avoided politicizing legal matters. Decisions about file releases were left to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the DOJ—not driven by political pressure.
- As Neera Tanden, a former White House official, noted: “the White House remained distanced from the DOJ on enforcement matters.”
4.
No “Smoking Gun” Found
- The DOJ eventually concluded there was no credible “client list”, blackmail material, or evidence justifying more releases. Without explosive new findings, there was less justification for unsealing sensitive files.
5.
Prior Partial Releases
- Some documents were released during Biden’s presidency—primarily from previously unsealed civil suits, such as a 2009 settlement and a defamation case against Maxwell. These included bank records, flight logs, some redacted contact lists.
- However, much of what was released had already been publicly available through prior transparency efforts.
6.
Political & Legislative Dynamics
- Some Democratic lawmakers pushed for transparency earlier (e.g. Reps. Frankel and Wasserman Schultz), but efforts were regularly stalled—sometimes by the Justice Department itself—to avoid jeopardizing trials or revealing sensitive information.
- Later, bipartisan efforts in Congress to compel DOJ to release more documents failed; some were blocked by Republican leadership.