U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns over the handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, claiming that files were improperly redacted prior to their release by the Department of Justice (DoJ).
Members of Congress were allowed on Monday to review unredacted versions of nearly three million pages, released in December under the Epstein File Transparency Act (EFTA).
“The core issue is that they do not align with… my law, because they were cleaned in March by Donald Trump’s FBI,” said Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from the House, in an interview with MS NOW.
To date, no documents have been re-redacted following congressional complaints, with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stating on X that the DoJ is committed to transparency.
Redactions came under scrutiny last week after Epstein victims’ attorneys reported that the latest release included email addresses and nude photographs where potential victims could be identified. Survivors called the release “outrageous”, emphasizing that victims’ names should not be exposed to avoid retraumatization.
The DoJ stated that documents in question were withdrawn due to complaints, citing “technical or human error” as the cause of the improper redactions.
After reviewing the unredacted files, Representatives Massie and Khanna, co-sponsors of the law that mandated the Epstein file release last year, identified 20 names that were incorrectly redacted, excluding only Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Massie noted that the improper redactions indicate the Department of Justice “needs to do more work” in managing the files.
In response, Deputy Attorney General Blanche affirmed that the DoJ has taken corrective measures and remains committed to transparency.
