US Lawmakers Review Unredacted Epstein Files, Numerous Famous Names Linked to Case

(Patria) - US lawmakers on Monday began reviewing unredacted files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and expressed concern that some names were removed from records that were made public, AFP reported.

The Epstein File Transparency Act (EFTA), which Congress passed in November by a large majority, forced the Justice Department to release all documents in its possession related to Epstein.

It required the redaction of names or personal identifying information of Epstein's victims, of whom there were more than 1,000 according to the FBI.

But it was stated that no record could be "denied, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary".

Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, was among the Democratic and Republican lawmakers who reviewed the unredacted Epstein files on Monday at a secure Justice Department location.

"I saw the names of many people who were redacted for mysterious or confusing or incomprehensible reasons," Raskin told reporters.

"Certainly there are many names of other people who were enablers and associates of Jeffrey Epstein, who were simply deleted without any visible reason," he said.

Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, said he found the names of six men whose identities were redacted from the released documents and who were "likely incriminated by their involvement in these files".
Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, said there was "no explanation as to why these individuals were redacted".

They declined to reveal their identities, but Massie said one of them was "quite high up in a foreign government," and Khanna said one of the others was "quite a prominent individual".

Massie and Khanna also said that many of the redactions in the released files were actually made before the Justice Department received the documents. Those redactions may have been made earlier by the FBI or prosecutors, they said.
"Our law was very clear," Khanna said. "Unless something was classified, it required that it not be redacted."

Epstein, who had connections to leading business executives, politicians, celebrities, and academics, was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of minors.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking of minors and is serving a twenty-year prison sentence.

On Monday, Maxwell testified from prison before Congress, but refused to answer any questions, stating she would speak if President Donald Trump granted her a pardon.

The Justice Department said no new prosecutions are expected, but a number of political and business leaders have already been tarnished by the scandal or resigned after their connections to Epstein were revealed in the files. Trump fought for months to prevent the release of a huge amount of documents about Epstein - a longtime former friend, but a rebellion among Republicans forced him to sign a law mandating the release of all records.

This move reflected intense political pressure to address what many Americans, including Trump supporters, have long suspected was a cover-up to protect the rich and powerful people in Epstein's orbit.