The Department of Justice's inspector general announced Thursday it is reviewing the department's compliance with federal legislation that mandated the release of records related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.

The audit will examine how the department collected, reviewed and redacted materials in preparation for public release, as well as its process for addressing privacy concerns that emerged after the files were made public. The review focuses on the department's implementation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which compelled the release of investigative records.

The Justice Department initially indicated it would not release additional records from the Epstein investigation, but reversed course after Congress passed legislation requiring disclosure and President Donald Trump signed it into law. The department subsequently released millions of pages of documents from the case.

The document release generated complaints from Epstein survivors, who alleged that inadequate redactions had exposed their personal information and identities. Critics also raised concerns that potentially damaging information may have been withheld from public disclosure.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019, approximately one month after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges. The inspector general's review marks the first significant audit of Justice Department actions since Trump began his second presidential term.