How Katie Phang Did What No Corporate Media Outlet Would
Lawyer and independent journalist Katie Phang is the only person who has sued under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. A federal judge just ruled in her favor. Here’s what happens next.
In a few days, Trump’s personal defense lawyer will sit for his confirmation hearing to run the Department of Justice permanently. Except the Senate’s not simply being asked to confirm an Attorney General. It’s being asked to confirm this nation’s largest coverup.
How did we get here? See, Trump ran on releasing the Epstein files — it was one of the few promises MAGA actually held him to. His first AG Pam Bondi then claimed the client list was on her desk just to spend the rest of her tenure trying to convince us Trump wasn’t on it. It didn’t work. So Trump did what he always does when someone fails to protect him: he replaced her. With his personal attorney Todd Blanche. And Blanche declared the Epstein case over.
That wasn’t sufficient for journalist Katie Phang, though. She actually read the law — and sued him over it. And I couldn’t wait to get her Gloves Off energy on my show.
Katie’s a trial lawyer and legal analyst you probably know from her time at MSNBC. She’s now a fully independent journalist and the first person to file a lawsuit under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Katie told me how she kept hitting wall after wall of redactions while digging into what she believes is the real story of the Epstein operation — the system that enabled it. The modeling ring. The visas. The loopholes that let grown men travel with little girls in plain sight. But every time she pulled at that thread, she hit another black bar.
The law only allows one reason to redact information — to protect victims and survivors. But Blanche’s DOJ blacked out the names of potential co-conspirators and people emailing Epstein about sex with minors, even FBI interview notes on an allegation against Trump himself. A federal judge found Blanche violated the law, essentially admitted to it in court and must release the names or justify every redaction. So who exactly are these redactions protecting? If Blanche is confirmed, we may never find out.
That’s what a cover-up looks like when it’s being protected by the DOJ. We can no longer assume they operate in good faith. Private citizens like Katie Phang have to go back to court and say, “they are proven liars, Judge, and because of that, somebody has to actually check their work.”
This is exactly why independent journalism matters. Holding the powerful accountable has always been the press’ job but the outlets that used to do it now have owners to protect and access they wouldn’t dare lose. Katie, herself, said she never could have brought this lawsuit at MSNBC. But one journalist and one lawsuit can only take this fight so far. The rest is on the Senate.
Blanche’s confirmation hearing is July 15th and 16th — he’s asking for the Senate’s approval despite more than 1,200 former DOJ employees signing an open letter opposing him. Opposing the man who told Trump “I love you, sir“ on camera. A vote for Blanche isn’t a vote for an Attorney General. It’s a vote to confirm the cover-up. To bury the files and protect everyone hiding behind the redactions.
I asked Katie where she finds the courage to take all of this on. Her answer? “I never want to look back at this moment and say I could have done more.”
Neither do I.
#BlockBlanche.
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We must keep fighting!
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