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A federal judge has shut down an effort by two House lawmakers to force the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to immediately release all remaining files related to Jeffrey Epstein, ruling that the court lacks jurisdiction to intervene.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a seven-page decision rejecting a request from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to participate in the closed criminal case of Ghislaine Maxwell as amici curiae, or “friends of the court.”

Khanna and Massie had asked Engelmayer to appoint a special master to oversee the DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), a law they authored and that was signed by President Donald Trump last year.

The statute requires the Justice Department to make public all evidence gathered during decades of investigations into Epstein.

The lawmakers argued that without court oversight, the DOJ could not be trusted to release all required materials and suggested delays were politically motivated.

9 Democrats Voted with Republicans to Hold Clintons in Contempt of Congress

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability voted Wednesday to advance contempt of Congress resolutions against Bill and Hillary Clinton after the Democrat power couple refused to comply with lawful subpoenas related to the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

In a striking development, several Democrats, including members aligned with the party’s progressive wing, joined Republicans in voting to hold Bill Clinton in contempt, signaling growing pressure on the Clintons even within their own party.

Among the Democrats voting with Republicans were Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), both of whom are typically reliable opponents of GOP-led oversight efforts.

The committee voted 34–9 to advance contempt proceedings against Bill Clinton and 28–15 against Hillary Clinton.