Speaker Mike Johnson expressed strong disapproval on Thursday regarding the Justice Department's surveillance of lawmakers accessing the unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files at DOJ headquarters. "I don't think it's appropriate for anybody to be tracking that," Johnson remarked to the press, suggesting the surveillance might have been an oversight.

This controversy arose as members of Congress were invited this week to a DOJ office to review sensitive materials related to the Epstein case that haven't been made public. Johnson emphasized the importance of allowing members to examine these documents privately and at their own pace.

The issue came to light when Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. A photograph of Bondi’s research binder, captured during her testimony, inadvertently revealed a list labeled “Search History” for Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). This discovery has sparked outrage among lawmakers.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the leading Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, condemned the DOJ's actions. "It is an outrage that DOJ is tracking Members’ investigative steps...and using this information for the Attorney General’s embarrassing polemical purposes," Raskin stated.

In response to these developments, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he would ensure Johnson addresses the issue with the DOJ directly. Jeffries criticized his Republican colleagues for not denouncing the DOJ’s actions, which he views as a violation of the separation of powers principle. He also hinted at possible accountability measures, depending on the outcome of the upcoming November midterm elections.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the motivations behind or future plans for this monitoring practice.

As tensions mount, the unfolding situation raises significant questions about privacy, the separation of powers, and the transparency of the Justice Department's operations involving high-profile cases like that of Jeffrey Epstein.