DOJ Redacted Names of ‘Politically Exposed Individuals’ in Epstein Files: Report

The Department of Justice redacted the names of government officials and “politically exposed individuals” in its latest release of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Department of Justice posted documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act on its website Friday afternoon in accordance with the midnight deadline set by the statute signed into law by President Donald Trump last month.

Many viewers reacted with disgust over the amount of blacked-out information within the almost four thousand files, despite Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s claim that the administration was attempting to protect “every single victim.”

However, a recent report on the document dump from Fox News Digital notes that the redactions were put in place to protect more than just Epstein’s victims and accusers.

“The Justice Department redacted the names and identifiers of victims. Fox News Digital has learned that the same redaction standards were applied to politically exposed individuals and government officials,” read the report.

Fox News Digital also attached a letter from Blanche addressed to members of Congress regarding the review process of files.

Blanche claims that blacked-out information included any evidence that could jeopardize pending investigations and any information deemed to be in the interest of national defense or foreign policy. Further information could be redacted if it fell under legally protected privilege.

Information that may pertain to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recently opened investigation into Epstein’s past associations could seemingly be redacted under these restrictions.

This crucial distinction relating to the information actually released comes amid a wave of outrage over the lack of transparency in the files.

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), who co-sponsored the bill to release the files, have both said that the DOJ’s documents fail to follow the law Trump himself signed.

“The DOJ’s document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law authored by
@RepThomasMassie and me,” he wrote. “One document, 119 pages of Grand Jury testimony, was completely redacted.”

Massie agreed, writing, “Unfortunately, today’s document release by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago. @RepRoKhanna is correct.”

Blanche’s letter stated that the full review of documents would likely be completed “over the next two weeks” and “the Department will provide an explanation for any redacted and withheld materials as part of this production.”