Katie Phang SUES Todd Blanche/DOJ To Force Release of Epstein Files!

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]Hey all, Glen Kersner here. So friends, as you may have heard, our friend and independent journalist extraordinaire Katie Fang just filed a lawsuit against acting attorney general Todd Blanch and the Department of Justice to try to get them to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. And do you know why she did it? Well, in part because justice matters.

[00:00:35]I just sat down with Katie to discuss this important development.

[00:00:52]Welcome everybody. Hey, I'm so happy to see you in the harsh light of day rather than at 8:30 p.m. at night during our community meetings. I've got my friend Katie Fang here. Uh a journalist extraordinaire, a justice warrior in all of her coverage of the the corrupt, lawless Trump administration. Somebody who has always spoken truth to power.

[00:01:16]She's now doing it all day, every do day as independent media, which is the wave of the present, not just the wave of the future. So, I am thrilled to be joined today by my old friend Katie Fang.

[00:01:28]>> Glenn, I'm so honored to be here, to be reunited with you. You and I have logged some hours together covering some of the biggest biggest legal developments in American history over the last few years. So, let's turn to the reason we were going to talk today because I was so excited, Katie, when I saw that yesterday you filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Washington DC to try to get a judge to order the Department of Justice Todd Blanch to just comply with the damn federal law, the Epstein Files Transparency Act. I have a couple of questions about it, but I want to first throw it to you to talk about the decision that you made to to bring this lawsuit.

[00:02:12]>> Well, I think you would particularly be empathetic on this. I mean, there's something that we you and I have railed about for years, which is the enablers, right? The the stable of lawyers that Donald Trump has surrounded himself with that have facilitated his wrongdoings and have tried to go to court to justify his wrongdoings. And at this point, Todd Blanch, as we've just been talking about, you're saying he's trying to save his job. I'm saying he's trying to audition for the big job, which is being the attorney general of the United States. You know, Todd Blanch has assumed the pole position of these enablers. And and what he has done in that capacity is he's taken over the mantle from former AG Pam Bondi, Pammy Joe with the bad hair as I call her, in being able to run interference to be able to block the release of the entirety of the Epstein files. Blanch has been leading the charge in trying to gaslight Americans into thinking that there's a nothing more to turn over and b whatever they've turned over has been appropriately and legally redacted. But you and I and everybody else who's tuning in knows that that's not true. In in doing so, in furthering the obstruction, as I am calling it, he is preventing me from being able to do my job as an independent journalist. I cannot take any of these blacked out pages or the random stuff that's posted and then subsequently retracted. I can't work with that at all. My job is 100% hampered from being able to read, process, discern, as I say, do further investigation and report. And because I can't do it, I have now sued Todd Blanch in his capacity as the acting AG to force him to abide by the law. I have been saying over and over again since yesterday, I am asking the court to enter an order that forces lawyers to actually abide by the law.

[00:04:02]>> And I would urge everybody to read the entire 15page lawsuit. But if you just want to kind of jump forward to the good stuff, go to paragraph 32 and start reading what Katie and her lawyer have documented there, which involves Donald Trump's conduct that ultimately was revealed, which is just a fraction of what we reasonably believe is in the Epstein files. But you make such great points in there. I think about um the fact that Gileain Maxwell in discovery in her criminal case got all kinds of stuff that we know exists that they are wrongfully withholding in violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Um, but I want to I want to say that my very favorite part, Katie, is I think the last sentence or maybe the last ask in your lawsuit because you say, "And we would like a special master appointed to facilitate the I'm I'm paraphrasing their compliance with the federal law."

[00:05:04]Katie, I let out a hallelujah chorus when I saw that because I've been yelling all along that someone needs to request a special master because that person will be basically an extension of the court. You could even have the judge order if the judge were so inclined DOJ to give everything to the special master and that person can go about determining what you know should be redacted, shouldn't be redacted, what can be withheld, what can't be withheld because listen I am never could I am convinced that that Todd Blanch will never make any decision that is that is not in the interest of his deacto client, dear leader Donald Trump. So, um, talk a little bit about the remedy, what you're trying to get the judge to do here.

[00:05:51]>> Yes. So, straight out of the gate, I always clarify, I'm not seeking money.

[00:05:54]Like, I'm not seeking, um, you know, millions of dollars in any way. This is not an action for damages of money. This is my damages are the non-compliance.

[00:06:03]So, I am trying to get an injunction that forces the DOJ to turn over fully unredacted Epstein files um with appropriate redactions to to protect the confidentiality and the identities of victims and survivors who many of whom have already been outed because they botched the role out already, right? Um, the special master. I'm so glad that you highlighted it because I was totally inspired by Congressman Massie and Connor when they saw a special master in the Glenn Maxwell criminal case in front of Judge Angle Meer in the Southern District of New York. Now, what the judge said there was, I understand why you're coming to me for the special master. However, you guys don't have standing and I don't have the ability of retain jurisdiction over a case that's technically closed because it's already gone to a verdict and sentencing. I only maintain jurisdiction over this case to make sure that there is compliance with discovery orders that were entered during that criminal case and that that doesn't get violated because when the Epstein Files Transparency Act was passed into law in November of 2025, what happened was it did send a message to the judges that had presided over grand juries involving Epstein, Maxwell, etc. in Florida and New York and told them, "You must comply with conforming your discovery orders with the law." And of course, those judges amended their discovery orders to say, "These protective orders have been amended in ways to comply with the federal law." So the judge over in Glenn Maxwell's case said, "Look, wish I could help you guys, but I can't. But maybe somebody will bring a separate cause of action to do this." I heard the judge, I brought a separate cause of action. What's interesting too though is the law itself um Glenn doesn't allow for a private cause of action but it does have but there is a law under the administrative procedure act that allows me to force the government to do its job and I can bring that as a journalist and so that is why this is a first of its own first of its kind lawsuit. It's the only lawsuit so far that's been brought pursuant to the Epstein files transparency act. Um, I had the chance to talk to Roana today about the Epstein victim's round table he did and also about this law and I'm I am proud to say that he he completely agrees that this is what the plan was behind this law was to be able to have people like me as a journalist be able to force the government to turn over these files. And so I I'm happy because we've we've spent so much time with special masters as of late involving Trump, right? Remember, we've had special masters looking at Trump related discovery as far back as Michael Cohen prosecutions, right? We've we've seen smart either former or retired judges or lawyers that are in place that can look at an at a law and say this complies or this doesn't. And I love the idea because the special master takes it out of the hands of the DOJ. We cannot trust the DOJ to police itself.

[00:08:47]It is shown time and time again it operates in bad faith. And that's the reason why the lawsuit's been brought and that's the reason why the special master is an absolute requirement in this litigation >> here. Here. So next steps, you're going to wait for a reply. No reply has been filed yet, I assume.

[00:09:02]>> No, no response. I know they're going to move to dismiss saying, "I don't have standing." That'll be the initial hurdle, but that's the hurdle everybody gets, right? When they sue the federal government, do you have standing?

[00:09:10]Meaning, can you actually bring this lawsuit because you have the ability to bring the suit? Um, as we call it, can you even get in the front door is kind of like the challenge. Um, you'd be happy to hear this news. Um, we had a a late breaking assignment um of EMTT Sullivan as our judge.

[00:09:27]>> Oh, am I happy to hear that? Who?

[00:09:29]>> I know. I'm happy to. Why don't you let the Why don't you let the people who are tuning in know why you like EMTT Sullivan so so much? I I I personally like him, too. But you go ahead and let everybody know.

[00:09:38]>> Oh, I appeared before EMTT Sullivan when I was a federal prosecutor in DC. He has a he has quite a reputation, and you know what? He can strike fear in the hearts of defense attorneys and prosecutors. Why? Because he is very demanding. He wants all parties who appear before him to be well-informed, to be professional, polite, and civil.

[00:10:03]And most importantly, he wants cander, truthfulness, honesty, integrity from all parties. And I got to tell you, most attorneys gave it to him. I would call him something of a lion in DC criminal justice circles. I admire the man. And I was in court covering for MSNBC the Michael Flynn case when Judge EMTT Sullivan said to Mike Flynn, "You, sir, arguably sold out your country. You, sir, disrespect everything this flag pointing to the flag that sits behind his rights. right shoulder. Everything this flag represents. And you know the battle that was being fought at that time was the Trump administration was trying to get rid of the prosecution against Mike Flynn. Mike Flynn who had pleaded guilty not just once but twice for lying to the FBI about contacts he had with Russian officials. And Judge Sullivan in the worst way you could tell did not want to dismiss that case because of what Mike Flynn had pleaded guilty to. But the challenge there when the Department of Justice walks away from its responsibility to represent the interests of the American people and partners up with the defendant to try to dismiss his case. judges don't have their own prosecutors back in chambers that they can say, "Oh, that I'm going to bring my prosecutor in to pursue the charges against Mike Flynn." They that's not available except in a very limited circumstance when somebody violates a court order. There is a a mechanism for a judge to get an independent prosecutor to vindicate the rights of the court if their order has been violated. So, you know, it was really a horrific injustice when that case ended up being dismissed.

[00:11:57]And now what do we see? We see Mike Flynn getting repeated paydays, multiple paydays with our tax dollars basically because he committed crimes >> and he got away with it. And now we're paying him. Yeah. Now we're rewarding him. That's right.

[00:12:10]>> Yeah.

[00:12:11]>> So, it's a great draw. EMTT Sullivan is a great draw. We're we're I I'm personally thrilled because if there is anybody who understands how the Department of Justice is supposed to really operate in the best of times and in this truest of senses of rule of law, DOJ, it's Judge Sullivan. And so I I am thrilled and I always want to make sure I give credit where credit is due. My lawyers at the Public Integrity Project are Brendan Belaloo, who you know, former federal prosecutor who prosecuted January 6 insurrectionists. Um, he's also representing our friend Harry Dunn and officer Daniel Hodgeges in the lawsuit against Congress and Mike Johnson to force them to put the plaque that's supposed to honor the law enforcement officers that defended our capital from insurrectionists on January 6th. Brennan represents them in that litigation. And so he along with Sam Ward Pacman, another lawyer, they are my lawyers. Um, lawyers getting lawyers.

[00:13:03]Um, but you know, it's great because if there's anybody who knows the ins and outs of the the the system, it's going to be Brendan. And they're incredibly thoughtful lawyers. And so I've underscored this, and I know you'll appreciate this, Glenn, and everybody who's tuning in. This is good faith litigation that I has brought that I've not brought this for a publicity stunt.

[00:13:22]I haven't brought this um to to just, you know, be a thorn in the DOJ side, although I do enjoy doing that on a daily basis. I I brought this in good faith because it truly is um a challenge if not an impossible hurdle for me to be able to consistently report um about Epstein just you know writ large because I don't have access to documents that would let me be able to not only report on what exists but to be able to pull on threads to do further investigative journalism and so I am really appreciative that I have such an incredible group of lawyers that are helping me with this case >> you know and the first amendment right freedom of the press is really in in the interest of the American people, right?

[00:14:01]Holding the government to account, exposing the government's wrongdoing.

[00:14:06]So, you know, this to me feels like a public service lawsuit, quite frankly.

[00:14:12]And um so, Katie, I I could talk all day. There's so many legal developments.

[00:14:16]You mentioned James Comey's daughter, who, you know, let me let me just drop this seed because it will grow over time. Boy, the judge spent the first page of his ruling praising the performance of of Moren Comey as a prosecutor in New York.

[00:14:32]>> The whole thing is highlighted. This is the first page of her order.

[00:14:35]>> And then what he said is, "Oh, you fired her pursuant to article two, not pursuant to the civil service protections or laws." Guess what? That means this suit doesn't have to go through the merit systems protection board. It can go right into court. You know what? Trump administration has just been hoisted on its own.

[00:14:56]And our friends like Liz Oyer, the former pardon attorney, was also wrongfully terminated pursuant to what?

[00:15:02]Article two of the constitution. I think this may be a floodgate opening moment that is a product of DOJ's attempt to do the wrong thing. So listen, so many good legal developments. We're always, you know, obsessing about the horror show that is the Trump administration and what he's inflicting on we the people.

[00:15:23]Um, but there are so many points of light. There really is a silver lining lurking behind the big orange dark cloud that is Donald Trump and we need to spend time talking about those points of light. Katie, you are one of those beacons of light. Can you tell everybody where they can find your work?

[00:15:39]>> I appreciate it. Um, please if y'all can subscribe for free my YouTube channel, Katie Fang News. I have brand new episodes on the daily. Today I even have my live show sidebar with Katie Fang at 5:30s. I'm also here on Substack Katie Fang and at all other social media. But spreading the news about this lawsuit is really helpful because it really is meant to give people an understanding to have hope on transparency. Well, Katie, thank you for having our backs in this justice fight. And I'll finish with this based on what you said. People are always yelling at me, Glenn, justice m you say justice matters. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. And I always say, you know what? If it didn't matter to you, you wouldn't be so upset at the absence of justice. That tells me it does matter to you and it matters to us and we're going to fight for it. And I believe, this is not Polyiana, I believe we're going to win. So, uh, let let's keep at it. Thank you for joining us, Katie, and let's do it again soon.

[00:16:37]>> Thanks to you and thanks to everybody else. Thanks for having me. Bye, guys.

[00:16:40]>> Bye, everyone.