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Khanna slams DOJ remarks on Epstein associations
The lawmaker also demanded sworn probes for Epstein Island visitors.
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Anushka Pathak - Tue, 03, Feb 2026
- 12:47 EST
- 18
Rep. Ro Khanna / Courtesy: X/@RepRoKhanna
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's comments that it is not a crime to "party" with Jeffrey Epstein were met with criticism by Rep. Ro Khanna in the wake of the release of documents that indicated several prominent figures were associated with the convicted sex offender.
The Democrat called the statement offensive to survivors and urged formal investigations into those who visited Epstein’s private island.
ALSO READ: Filmmaker Mira Nair mentioned in latest Epstein Files
In a video segment posted on Khanna’s X account, he responded to comments made by Blanche, who said, "As you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein. And so, as horrible as it is not a crime to email with Mr. Epstein. And then some of these men may have done horrible things."
"And if we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will. But it’s also the kind of thing that that the American people need to understand: that it isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein," he added.
Khanna rejected that characterization, saying, “One of the most offensive things that the Deputy Attorney General said is that these men were just partying with Epstein, and that’s not a crime or wrong.”
.@DAGToddBlanche dismisses what happened as men partying with Epstein.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) February 3, 2026
That is offensive to survivors
These are men making plans with Epstein, a pedophile, to go to Epstein's island where young girls are being raped and paraded naked at parties.
There should be an… pic.twitter.com/zQZeVGFVDK
He said emails cited in released files showed influential figures in technology, finance, and real estate communicating with Jeffrey Epstein about visiting his island while knowing he was a pedophile and that underage girls were being raped there. Khanna added that anyone who went to the island should face an investigation and be questioned under oath about who was present and what they witnessed.
Khanna also faulted the Department of Justice’s handling of the matter, stating, “It seems in some cases they spend more time protecting the people who committed these crimes than they did the survivors.” He called for what he described as a broader moral reckoning over continued contact with Epstein after his crimes were publicly known.
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who forced a vote to release the Epstein files, says it seems, in some cases, that the Justice Department "spent more time protecting the people who committed these crimes than they did these survivors." pic.twitter.com/XlwmTtagJv
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) February 3, 2026
He referenced his advocacy for the Epstein Transparency Act and greater disclosure and raised concerns over redaction errors in recently released documents, noting that survivor lawyers have sought corrections and that he hopes for cooperation from the DOJ.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. The latest document releases stem from long-running investigations into his network, and the Justice Department has said no additional prosecutions are planned based on available evidence.
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