By STEPHEN GROVES and SEUNG MIN KIM

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice has expanded its review of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to 5.2 million as it also increases the number of attorneys trying to comply with a law mandating release of the files, according to a person briefed on a letter sent to U.S. Attorneys.

The figure is the latest estimate in the expanding review of case files on Epstein and his longtime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell that has run more than a week past a deadline set in law by Congress.

The Justice Department has more than 400 attorneys assigned to the review, but does not expect to release more documents until Jan. 20 or 21, according to the person briefed on the letter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.

The expanding scope of the disclosure and the additional legal firepower committed to it showed how the Epstein file investigation will continue to occupy significant attention in Congress and the White House, almost ensuring that it remains a potent political force as the new year rolls toward midterm elections.

The White House did not dispute the figures laid out in the email, and pointed to a statement from Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, who said the administration’s review was an “all-hands-on-deck approach.”

An email that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is photographed Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

Blanche said Wednesday that lawyers from the Justice Department in Washington, the FBI, the Southern District of Florida, and the Southern District of New York are working “around the clock” to review the files. The additional documents and lawyers related to the case were first reported by The New York Times.

“We’re asking as many lawyers as possible to commit their time to review the documents that remain,” Blanche said. “Required redactions to protect victims take time, but they will not stop these materials from being released.”

Still, Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing pressure from Congress after the Justice Department’s rollout of information has lagged behind the Dec. 19 deadline to release the information.

“Should Attorney General Pam Bondi be impeached?” Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who helped lead the effort to pass the law mandating the document release, asked on social media this week.

Democrats also are reviewing their legal options as they continue to seize on an issue that has caused cracks in the Republican Party and, at times, flummoxed President Donald Trump’s administration.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on social media that the latest figures from the Department of Justice “shows Bondi, Blanche, and others at the DOJ have been lying to the American people about the Epstein files since day one” and pointed out that the documents released so far represented a fraction of the total.

What’s expected next

A late January release of documents would put the Department of Justice more than a month behind the deadline set in law, but some key lawmakers appeared willing to let the process play out before trying to take direct action against the Trump administration.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who also led the effort to pass the law requiring the release, told The Associated Press that the Justice Department’s expanding review showed that the law is working.

“We are willing to give DOJ a few extra weeks to comply, provided they release the survivors’ statements to the FBI naming the other rich and powerful men who abused them or covered up and the prosecution memos about charges that were dropped against Epstein and co-conspirators,” he said. “When all the information comes out, this will shock the conscience of the nation.”

Massie has also said that he wants to see the release of statements that victims gave to the FBI. He has claimed that those could disclose the names of influential business figures and political donors who were involved or complicit in Epstein’s abuse.

The pair has also argued that the expanding disclosure is evidence that more people were involved besides Epstein and Maxwell.

What could the files mean for the midterms?

The Trump administration has already struggled to move past the Epstein files for the better part of last year. While it’s not clear what else will be shown in the files, it will almost certainly give Democrats continued fodder to continue to seize on the issue.

So far, Democrats, even though they are in the minority, have forced Congress to act on an issue that has caused splits in Trump’s political base.

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A tranche of documents released just before Christmas showed that Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s, when they had a friendship before a falling out. But the documents revealed little new information about their relationship. The initial release of documents also showed several photos of former President Bill Clinton with women whose faces were blacked out.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have honed in on the connections to Clinton and are seeking to force him and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to appear for a deposition in January.

Still, Democrats are trying to show that the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files shows that it cannot be trusted and is more concerned about the welfare of the rich and famous than working-class voters.

“Unlike the President, we don’t care who’s in the files,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight panel, on social media. “Anyone that’s involved in the abuse of women and girls should be held accountable.”

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia judge on Tuesday tossed racketeering charges against dozens of defendants accused of a yearslong conspiracy to halt the construction of a police and firefighter training facility that critics call “Cop City.”

Fulton County Judge Kevin Farmer said in the order that Republican Attorney General Chris Carr didn’t have the authority to secure the 2023 indictments under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Farmer said he needed permission from Gov. Brian Kemp.

Carr’s office said in a statement that they plan to appeal.

“We strongly disagree with this decision and will continue to vigorously pursue this domestic terrorism case to ensure that justice is served,” his office said.

The 61 defendants in what experts call the largest criminal racketeering case filed against protesters in U.S. history faced such allegations as throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers and providing protesters with food. Each defendant faced up to 20 years in prison on the racketeering charges.

Five of them have also been indicted on charges of domestic terrorism and first-degree arson related a night in 2023 when masked activists burned a police car in downtown Atlanta and threw rocks at a skyscraper home to the Atlanta Police Foundation. Farmer has said Carr also didn’t have the authority to pursue the arson charge but that the domestic terrorism charge can likely stand.

Amanda Clark Palmer, an attorney for one of the protesters, praised the judge’s decision, saying “the prosecution did not follow the law when filing these charges,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“We are relieved the dismissal order has been entered but our relief is not complete yet as we wait to see whether the Attorney General will appeal,” Clark Palmer said in a statement.

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The long-brewing controversy over the training center came to a head in January 2023 after state troopers who were part of a sweep of the South River Forest killed a 26-year-old activist, known as “Tortuguita,” who authorities said had fired at them while inside a tent near the construction site. A prosecutor found the troopers’ actions “ objectively reasonable.” Tortuguita’s family filed a lawsuit, saying his hands were in the air and that troopers used excessive force when they initially fired pepper balls into the tent.

Protests erupted, with masked vandals sometimes attacking police vehicles and construction equipment to stall the project and intimidate contractors into backing out. Opponents also pursued such civic paths to halt the facility as packing City Council meetings and leading a large-scale referendum effort that got tied up in the courts.

Carr, who is running for governor, had pursued the case. Kemp hailed it as an important step to combat “out-of-state radicals that threaten the safety of our citizens and law enforcement.”

Critics had called the indictment a politically motivated, heavy-handed attempt to quash the movement against the 85-acre (34-hectare) project that ultimately cost more than $115 million.

By MATT OTT, AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell to its lowest level of 2025 this week, an encouraging sign for prospective home buyers.

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The average long-term mortgage rate dipped to 6.15% from 6.18% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. That’s the lowest average long-term rate since October 3, 2024 when it dipped to 6.12% before shooting back up. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.91%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, fell this week to 5.44% from 5.50% the previous week. A year ago it averaged 6.13%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

The 10-year yield was at 4.14% at midday Wednesday, down a touch from last week’s 4.15%.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has been mostly holding steady in recent weeks since Oct. 30 when it dropped to 6.17%, which at the time was its lowest level in more than a year.

Mortgage rates began easing in July in anticipation of a series of Fed rate cuts, which began in September and continued this month.

The Fed doesn’t set mortgage rates, but when it cuts its short-term rate that can signal lower inflation or slower economic growth ahead, which can drive investors to buy U.S. government bonds. That can help lower yields on long-term U.S. Treasurys, which can result in lower mortgage rates.

Even so, Fed rate cuts don’t always translate into lower mortgage rates.

Home shoppers who can afford to pay cash or finance at current mortgage rates are in a more favorable position than they were a year ago. Home listings are up sharply from 2024, and many sellers have resorted to lowering their initial asking price as homes take longer to sell, according to data from Realtor.com.

Still, affordability remains a challenge for aspiring homeowners, especially first-time buyers who don’t have equity from an existing home to put toward a new home purchase. Uncertainty over the economy and job market are also keeping many would-be buyers on the sidelines.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November from the previous month, but slowed compared to a year earlier for the first time since May despite average long-term mortgage rates holding near their low point for the year. Through the first 11 months of this year, home sales are down 0.5% compared to the same period last year.

Economists generally forecast that the average rate on a 30-year mortgage will remain slightly above 6% next year.

By AREF TUFAHA and MAJDI MOHAMMED

NUR SHAMS REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP) — Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank watched as Israeli military bulldozers pulled down their homes Wednesday as part of a nearly year-long incursion into the territory’s northern refugee camps.

The scene in Nur Shams has been repeated often across the northern West Bank in the roughly 11 months since Israeli troops launched operation “Iron Wall” there in early 2025. During that time, the military has demolished or heavily damaged at least 850 structures across the refugee camps of Nur Shams, Jenin and Tulkarem, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch.

Troops have also forced out the camps’ populations, leading to the largest displacement in the West Bank since Israel captured the territory in 1967. Tens of thousands of residents are living with relatives, cramming into rental apartments or living in public buildings.

Israel says the operation aims to root out armed groups and says the demolitions are needed to destroy combatant infrastructure or to clear routes for troops.

Israel has said its troops will stay in some camps for a year, and its unclear when, if ever, Palestinians will be able to return.

Rights groups and Palestinians say the raids are destroying homes. AP video showed bulldozers tearing down several houses out of a total of 25 the military said it planned to demolish.

“Our home is dear to us, the memories are dear to us, the family, the neighbors, and the good people are dear to us,” said Motaz Mohor, whose home was set to be destroyed as he watched the bulldozers. “The first time our grandparents were displaced, and this is the second time.”

His grandparents had moved to Nur Shams after their original displacement from the cities of Jaffa and Haifa during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation, when some 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes by forces of the nascent state or fled as troops advanced, an event Palestinians call the Nakba, or “catastrophe.”

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Mohor said he was sheltering with roughly 25 of his relatives in a 100-square-meter (1,070-square-foot) apartment after being displaced from the camp.

The military said troops had allowed residents to get their belongings from homes beforehand. It said it had only taken down structures where there existed a “a clear and necessary operational need” and after examining alternate courses of action.

The military said the camp was still an area of combatant activity even almost a year after the start of the operation and that troops had located explosives in the camp within the last month.

Ahmed al Sayyes, 60, said his home was also slated for demolition. He was surprised to wake up and see the bulldozers beginning work.

“It’s very difficult and painful,” he said. He said the house where he is sheltering is for sale and he’ll have to leave it. “It’s a tragedy after tragedy. Very difficult. Only God knows where we will end up.”