DOJ blocked release of secret Epstein drug probe file, Sen. Wyden says

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon has accused Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of blocking the release of an unredacted 2015 Justice Department memo related to a secret investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement in drug trafficking and prostitution. Blanche denied the accusation, stating that the memo is available to Congress members in a reading room, which Wyden has not visited. The memo, part of over 3 million Epstein files released earlier, shows Epstein was under a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) probe for at least five years. Wyden claims the DEA was ready to provide the unredacted memo until Blanche intervened. The document suggests Epstein and 14 others were involved in suspicious money transfers linked to illegal drugs, including ecstasy, and prostitution activities in the U.S. Virgin Islands and New York City. The memo is marked “law enforcement sensitive” and conceals the names of the other targets. QUESTION: Why do you think transparency in government investigations is important, and how might it impact public trust?