The release of thousands of pages of documents relating to the abuses of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has disappointed some who were anxiously awaiting the files.
The release of the documents was prompted by a congressional bill directing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to release materials related to Epstein’s crimes. However, some documents have had numerous revisions and others have not been shared publicly at all.
Lawmakers who pushed for the document to see the light of day described the release as incomplete and DOJ’s efforts as insincere.
Some legal experts also warned that widespread redaction would only fuel ongoing conspiracy theories.
But Deputy U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche said Friday, when the data was released, that the department had identified more than 1,200 of Epstein’s victims or their relatives and had not released data that could have identified them.
Among the recently released information are photos of Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell outside Downing Street, documents alleging that Epstein introduced a 14-year-old girl to US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and several images of former President Bill Clinton.
At least 15 of the files released were no longer available on the Justice Department website on Saturday, according to CBS, the BBC’s US media partner.
One of the missing files included a bunch of framed photos on a desk, CBS reported. One photo showed Bill Clinton, and another showed the Pope. The open drawer contained photos of Trump, Epstein and Maxwell.
Other missing files include photos of a room that appears to be a massage table, nude photos and nude drawings.
It’s unclear why the file is no longer available.
In a post to X on Saturday night, the DOJ wrote: “Photos and other materials will continue to be reviewed and amended in accordance with the law as we receive additional information.”
The BBC has contacted the DOJ for comment.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and has never been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims. Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein abuse survivors and has denied knowledge of his sexual misconduct.
Additionally, the released photos show the interior of Epstein’s home and his overseas travels, as well as the images of celebrities such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Peter Mandelson.
Just because a name appears in a file or a photo is taken does not indicate that there is a mistake. Many of the people identified in the files or in previous releases linked to Epstein have denied any wrongdoing.
However, many of the documents were also heavily edited.
The DOJ said it would comply with Congress’s request to release the documents, with some stipulations.
It removed personally identifiable information about Epstein’s victims, material depicting child sexual abuse, material depicting physical abuse, and any records “that could jeopardize an active federal investigation” or any classified documents that must be kept secret to protect “national defense or foreign policy.”
The DOJ said it “will not redact any politician’s name,” and cited Blanche’s name, saying, “The only redactions made to the document are those required by law. A complete halt.”
“Consistent with the law and applicable law, we do not redact the names of non-victim individuals or politicians.”
Criminal defense lawyer John Day told the BBC he was surprised by the amount of information that had been redacted.
“If you’re a conspiracy theorist, this just adds fuel to the fire,” he said. “I don’t think anyone expected there would be this many revisions. It raises questions about how faithfully the DOJ is complying with the law.”
Mr. Day also noted that the Justice Department must provide Congress with records of the redactions within 15 days of the files’ release.
“Until you know what’s being edited, you don’t know what’s being held back,” he said.
“To protect the privacy of the victims, the defense advocates redacting the faces of the women in the photos with Epstein, even if not all of them are known victims,” Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, wrote in a letter to the judges overseeing the Epstein and Maxwell cases. This is because it is practically impossible for the department to identify everyone in the photo.
“Some people may see this approach to photography as excessive editing,” Clayton added. But he added: “The department believes it must err on the side of editing to protect victims within a compressed time frame.”
Those who survived Epstein’s abuse are among those most frustrated by his release.
Marina Lacerda, who was 14 when she was abused by Epstein, told the BBC she and other survivors had been waiting a long time for the files to be made public.
“We’re a little disappointed that they’re still holding us back with other things going on,” she said.
“Some of the survivors are still anxious and skeptical about how the remaining files will be released. We are very worried that they will still be redacted in the way they are today.”
Epstein survivor Liz Stein told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that she believed the Justice Department was “really brazenly violating” the Epstein File Transparency Act, a law that requires the release of all documents.
Survivors are really worried about the possibility of “incomplete information unfolding slowly, without any context,” she noted.
“We just want all the evidence of these crimes.”
Baroness Helena Kennedy, a human rights lawyer and Labor peer in the House of Lords, said she had been told redactions in the document were intended to protect victims.
“Authorities are always worried about people being exposed to further denigration in the public mind,” she told the BBC’s Today programme.
She said many of the Epstein survivors “seem very sensitive” to want to make the material public, but added, “I wouldn’t be so sensitive if I knew exactly what was in there.”
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who led the release of the files along with Republican Rep. Thomas Marsh, called the release “incomplete” and added that he was considering options including impeachment, contempt and referral for prosecution.
“Our law requires us to explain the edits,” Khanna said. “There is no explanation whatsoever.”
Massie supported Khanna’s statement and posted on social media that Attorney General Pam Bondi and other Justice Department officials could be prosecuted by the Justice Department in the future for failing to comply with documentation requirements.
He said the release of the documents fails to comply with both the spirit and legal provisions of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
After the release, the White House called the Trump administration “the most transparent” in history, adding that “Democrats have done more for victims than ever before.”
Blanche was asked in an interview with ABC News whether all documents mentioning Trump in the so-called Epstein files would be released in the coming weeks.
“Assuming it complies with the law, yes.” Blanche said. “So there’s no effort to stop anything because there’s the name Donald J. Trump or anyone else’s name or Bill Clinton’s name or Reed Hoffman’s name.
“There is no hesitation or resistance because of it.”
“We will not be redacting the names of prominent men and women associated with Epstein,” he added.
Additional reporting by Jaroslav Lukiv
