The Department of Justice has 5.2 million pages of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents left to review and it will take weeks longer to complete the effort, multiple outlets reported.
About 400 lawyers are being enlisted from multiple government divisions to pore over those records, The New York Times first reported late Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The review of the staggering number of files will take until at least Jan. 20 to complete, the Times reported. A government document reported by Reuters on Wednesday morning said that the process of reviewing the remaining records will take place between Jan. 5 and Jan. 23.
The updated timeline is likely to draw more criticism from lawmakers who have already accused the Trump administration of flouting a statutory deadline to release its files on Epstein, the notorious late sex offender.
While it was unclear how many total records would be disclosed, the latest reported figure is much larger than previously indicated, and appears to further undermine a July memo claiming the DOJ conducted “an exhaustive review” of its files on Epstein.
Asked for comment, the White House and the DOJ both referred CNBC to an X post from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said lawyers “are working around the clock through the holidays, including Christmas and New Years, to review documents in compliance with federal law.”
“It truly is an all-hands-on-deck approach and we’re asking as many lawyers as possible to commit their time to review the documents that remain,” Blanche wrote, adding, “Required redactions to protect victims take time but they will not stop these materials from being released.”
President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill in mid-November requiring the government to publicly release unclassified records from its investigations into Epstein by Dec. 19.
The DOJ released thousands of records on that date, but Blanche indicated that more would be doled out over the “next couple weeks.”
“I expect several hundred thousand more,” Blanche said at the time.
On Christmas Eve, the DOJ revealed that more than a million additional documents potentially related to Epstein had been “uncovered” and that it would take “a few more weeks” to release them.
The document cited by Reuters on Wednesday said that the 400 additional lawyers are being provided by the DOJ’s Criminal Division and National Security Division, as well as the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan.
The FBI declined to comment. The other divisions and the Manhattan office did not immediately respond to CNBC’s outreach.
Lawyers involved will be expected to review up to 1,000 documents per day over three to five hours, and volunteers are being offered incentives including time off awards and telework options, the document reportedly said.
After releasing its initial batch of files, the DOJ quickly drew accusations of failing to produce the required files and of redacting more information than was legally mandated.
The department said it “is not redacting the names of any politicians” and maintains that it is fully complying with federal law. Democrats have nevertheless signaled they will take legal action against the administration over the alleged violations.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused the administration of carrying out a “cover up to protect Donald Trump,” a former friend of Epstein’s who has frequently griped about the public focus on the files.
