US : Democrats on Epstein papers redactions for “violation of federal law”
US : Leading Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees, US Congressmen Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin, have accused the Department of Justice of breaking federal law by aggressively redacting Jeffrey Epstein’s papers.
They contend that the Trump administration is violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the release of unclassified papers within 30 days, and hiding proof of Epstein’s sex trafficking organization.
Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said that he was “disappointed” with the papers that were supplied on Friday and that he would be considering “all options” on his next course of action.
“The DOJ’s document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages did not comply with the law authored by Thomas Massie and me,” he said in a post on X. Grand Jury testimony, which amounted to 119 pages, was entirely censored. I describe what is lacking and what the survivors and their attorneys are still hoping will be made public.
Top prosecutors say they have yet to find evidence that Jeffrey Epstein blackmailed high-profile individuals or that could lead to new criminal investigations, despite the Justice Department once again going through hundreds of thousands of pages of government-held documents linked to Epstein.
According to CNN, the department’s July claim may exacerbate the anger of those demanding more accountability and openness in the wake of Epstein’s years of mistreatment.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote to Congress today, “This review did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties, nor did it uncover credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.”
Blanche said, “As the president directed, it’s still being investigated,” when asked earlier on Fox News whether more charges may be anticipated, despite the fact that Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced and is incarcerated at the federal level. And I anticipate that will keep happening. Therefore, there aren’t any upcoming charges as of today.”
In one set of pictures, a black square first covers the face of a young guy. Later pictures, however, show him clearly strolling up a staircase and in a garage behind a high-end automobile, with his face unredacted. These images have been geolocated by CNN to a lavish home outside of Paris.
Another image shows a different guy, first deleted, laying on Ghislaine Maxwell. According to CNN, the identical picture with his face obscured may be seen elsewhere in the archives.
CNN reported on Thursday that Justice Department officials were frustrated with the pace at which they had to process the papers.
Thousands of records, including pictures of Epstein with well-known people like Michael Jackson and Bill Clinton, have been made public by the DOJ; however, many files are still severely redacted to protect victims and ongoing investigations. With a focus on survivors’ rights to justice and openness, Garcia and Raskin are investigating their legal alternatives.