{"id":2570143,"date":"2026-02-15T10:53:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T15:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-naming-janis-joplin-in-epstein-list-is-absurd-khanna\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T10:55:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T15:55:37","slug":"doj-naming-janis-joplin-in-epstein-list-is-absurd-khanna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-naming-janis-joplin-in-epstein-list-is-absurd-khanna\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ naming Janis Joplin in Epstein list is &#8216;absurd&#8217;: Khanna"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-naming-janis-joplin-in-epstein-list-is-absurd-khanna%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2570143&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A recent Washington Examiner report describes how Rep. Ro Khanna criticizes the Department of Justice for \u201cmuddying the waters\u201d in its Epstein-file disclosures by naming Janis Joplin in a new congressional letter. The DOJ released a six-page letter listing more than 300 high-profile individuals\u2014some government officials or \u201cpolitically exposed persons\u201d\u2014who were mentioned or referenced in Epstein-related documents. Joplin\u2019s inclusion stands out because she died in 1970, well before Epstein\u2019s public notoriety, and Khanna says naming her without clarification is absurd.<\/p>\n<p>Key points:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The Epstein Files Transparency Act does not <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >precisely define \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/miranda-devine-amid-hunters-ongoing-scandals-biden-is-going-soft-on-china\/\" title=\"Miranda Devine: Amid Hunter\u2019s Ongoing Scandals, Biden Is Going Soft on China\">politically exposed person<\/a><\/a>,\u201d but the DOJ says it has released all records related to Epstein and Maxwell, with some redactions for victims as required.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The letter to Senate and House Judiciary committees names numerous living figures, including Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Ron DeSantis, Gavin Newsom, elon Musk, Mike Pence, and Mark Zuckerberg, alongside lawmakers like Khanna and Marjorie Taylor Greene.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Critics, including Greene, question why there are entries such as Janis Joplin\u2014who died long before the Epstein case rose to prominence\u2014appearing in the lists.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article notes that Joplin\u2019s name appears in the DOJ Epstein Library in reference to biographical details about her career, and Marilyn Monroe is also mentioned in connection with documents related to Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; the piece highlights ongoing debates over how broadly to disclose names and how to interpret the presence of non-Epstein-era figures in the released materials.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Khanna says DOJ &lsquo;muddying the waters&rsquo; on Epstein files by naming Janis Joplin in letter<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2504777\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ro-khanna\/\">Ro Khanna<\/a> (D-CA) is accusing the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\/\">Department of Justice<\/a> of &ldquo;muddying the waters&rdquo; in its latest disclosure of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/epstein-files\/\">Epstein files<\/a> by naming the late singer Janis Joplin in a new letter to Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Joplin was among more than 300 high-profile figures mentioned in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/27061014\/efta-final-letter.pdf\">six-page letter<\/a> on Saturday. The DOJ said these figures were either government officials or &ldquo;politically exposed persons&rdquo; who were named or referenced in the documents. The department noted the Epstein Files Transparency Act does not define what a politically exposed person is, but released all relevant names.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4456909\/doj-failed-side-quests-undercut-trump-accountability\/\">DOJ&rsquo;s failed side quests could undercut Trump&rsquo;s accountability message<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4458130\/two-men-convicted-isis-plot-kill-hundreds-uk-jews\/\">Two men convicted for ISIS-inspired plot to kill hundreds of Jews in UK<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4457764\/don-lemon-pleads-not-guilty-charges-storming-minnesota-church\/\">Don Lemon pleads not guilty to charges for storming Minnesota church<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The inclusion of Joplin&rsquo;s name in the letter stands out because she died in 1970, long before convicted sex offender <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jeffrey-epstein\/\">Jeffrey Epstein<\/a> was in the public spotlight.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-memo\/4457548\/epstein-mess-good-and-bad-news-trump\/\"><strong>BYRON YORK: IN THE EPSTEIN MESS, GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS FOR TRUMP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The DOJ is once again purposefully muddying the waters on who was a predator and who was mentioned in an email,&rdquo; Khanna <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RoKhanna\/status\/2022842441309602066\">posted on X<\/a> late Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;To have Janis Joplin, who died when Epstein was 17, in the same list as Larry Nassar, who went to prison for the sexual abuse of hundreds of young women and child pornography, with no clarification of how either was mentioned in the files is absurd,&rdquo; he continued.<\/p>\n<p>Khanna, who has been particularly critical of the DOJ&rsquo;s handling of the Epstein files, called on the DOJ to release all documents and to &ldquo;stop protecting predators.&rdquo; The department has faced scrutiny for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4452272\/thomas-massie-todd-blanche-redactions-epstein-files-les-wexner\/\">redacting the names<\/a> of certain individuals, including nonvictims. Khanna argued that only the names of victims should be redacted.<\/p>\n<p>In the letter to top leaders of the Senate Judiciary and House Judiciary committees, the DOJ maintained it has released &ldquo;all&rdquo; records related to Epstein or <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ghislaine-maxwell\/\">Ghislaine Maxwell<\/a>. The department added that it did not withhold or redact records &ldquo;on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary,&rdquo; as defined in the Epstein Files Transparency Act.<\/p>\n<p>The bill was passed by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\">Congress<\/a> and signed into law by President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> late last year.<\/p>\n<p>The new letter lists Trump, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/melania-trump\/\">Melania Trump<\/a>, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ivanka-trump\/\">Ivanka Trump<\/a> among the long list of public figures. Some of the other names include Govs. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ron-desantis\/\">Ron DeSantis<\/a> (R-FL) and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gavin-newsom\/\">Gavin Newsom<\/a> (D-CA), Tesla CEO <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elon-musk\/\">Elon Musk<\/a>, former Vice President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-pence\/\">Mike Pence<\/a>, and Meta CEO <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mark-zuckerberg\/\">Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, Khanna and other members of Congress who have pushed for the full release of the Epstein files are also listed in the document.<\/p>\n<p>Former Georgia GOP Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marjorie-taylor-greene\/\">Marjorie Taylor Greene<\/a>, who was among the federal lawmakers included in the new letter, questioned why her name and Joplin&rsquo;s name were included.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Names that don&rsquo;t make sense like Janice Joplin who died in 1970, and all kinds of politicians including those of us who fought the hardest to release the files like me, Thomas Massie, Ro Khanna, and Nancy Mace,&rdquo; she <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FmrRepMTG\/status\/2022882428646310357\">wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Greene went on to explain that the federal government kept records on her that were &ldquo;unrelated to Epstein like me criticizing Covid masks rules and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/england-abandons-plan-for-vaccine-passports\/\" title=\"England abandons plan for vaccine passports\">covid vaccine passports<\/a>.&rdquo; She wondered why that was the case.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4457990\/democrats-demand-meeting-with-bondi-over-spying-on-epstein-file-access\/\">DEMOCRATS DEMAND MEETING WITH BONDI OVER &lsquo;SPYING&rsquo; ON EPSTEIN FILES ACCESS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the DOJ&rsquo;s Epstein Library database, &ldquo;Janis Joplin&rdquo; appears in the publicly available documents on 11 different occasions. The documents merely contain <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/epstein\/files\/DataSet%209\/EFTA01114461.pdf\">biographical details<\/a> about the late rock singer&rsquo;s career during the 1960s, along with other musicians of that era, such as Otis Redding.<\/p>\n<p>Another pop culture icon who rose to fame during the mid-20th century, Marilyn Monroe, is also mentioned in the DOJ&rsquo;s letter to Congress and the Epstein Library. In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/epstein\/files\/DataSet%2011\/EFTA02568677.pdf\">one document<\/a>, Epstein&rsquo;s longtime assistant Lesley Groff asks her boss, &ldquo;How high you would like the Marilyn Monroe picture hung above the statue here in the Oval Office.&rdquo; Monroe died in 1962.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paraphrase:<br \/>\nRep. Ro Khanna accuses the DOJ of muddying the waters by naming Janis Joplin in a congressional letter about Epstein files. Joplin, who died in 1970, is listed among hundreds of public figures mentioned in the DOJ\u2019s disclosure. The DOJ says it has released all records related to Epstein and Maxwell under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which doesn\u2019t define \u201cpolitically exposed person.\u201d Khanna argues the inclusion blurs who was a predator and urges full disclosure, accusing the DOJ of shielding predators. The list also includes high-profile figures such as Trump family members, Ron DeSantis, Gavin Newsom, Elon Musk, Mike Pence, and Mark Zuckerberg. Some lawmakers named in the letter, including Khanna and Thomas Massie, advocate for broader release, while Marjorie Taylor Greene questions why Joplin and others are on the list. In the Epstein Library, Joplin\u2019s name appears in biographical notes rather than as a scandal-linked figure; Marilyn Monroe is also mentioned in a separate document.<\/p>\n<p>55-character version:<br \/>\nKhanna blasts DOJ for naming Janis Joplin Epstein files<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2570144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26026774427918.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[7076,9006,73839],"class_list":["post-2570143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-doj","tag-epstein","tag-janis-joplin"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26026774427918.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2570143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2570143"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2570143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2570147,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2570143\/revisions\/2570147"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2570144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2570143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2570143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2570143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}