DOJ temporarily removes thousands of Epstein files due to victim ID concerns
Teh justice Department temporarily removed thousands of Epstein-related documents from its Epstein Files database too avoid inadvertently sharing victim-identifying information. This action followed Friday’s release of a massive new Epstein trove—over 3 million pages,more than 2,000 videos,and 180,000 images—and aligns with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,which permits withholding or redacting parts that contain personally identifiable information of victims.Attorney General Pam Bondi said the documents were pulled after privacy concerns were raised and that those flagged would be evaluated and, ideally within 24 to 36 hours, reposted with necessary redactions. In a separate court filing, the DOJ indicated it had been alerted by victims and their counsel to situations requiring additional redactions to protect privacy, and that after review, redacted versions would be posted using the same bates numbers for consistency. The Friday release also named several public figures, including Elon Musk, bill Gates, Steve Tisch, and Peter Mandelson, with Mandelson’s resignation from the UK Labor Party noted as part of the fallout. The department emphasized that redacted versions would be reposted promptly to maintain transparency.
DOJ temporarily removes thousands of Epstein files due to victim identification concerns
The Justice Department has removed thousands of documents from the Epstein files database on its website due to concerns over the inadvertent inclusion of victim-identifying information.
The move comes after the DOJ released its latest mass trove of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday. The release uploaded over 3 million more pages to the DOJ database and included over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, according to the agency. In accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the DOJ is permitted to withhold or redact portions of the documents that “contain personally identifiable information of victims.”
“The Department now has taken down several thousands of documents and media that may have inadvertently included victim-identifying information due to various factors, including technical or human error,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a letter to court officials.
Bondi said the documents flagged by victims would be evaluated and reposted with any necessary redactions, ideally in the next 24 to 36 hours.
In a separate Saturday court filing, the DOJ had forewarned the court that it had “been alerted by several victims and victim counsel to instances where additional redactions are needed to protect victim privacy.” Bondi wrote the Monday letter to alert the federal judges presiding over the case against Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, of the removal.
Bondi wrote that once a victim raises privacy concerns over a document, it “promptly will be pulled down from the Epstein Library website while the Department evaluates the claim or concern raised by the victim and whether redactions or other measures are appropriate.”
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“Once that process is complete, the Department promptly will re-post a redacted version of the document—ideally within 24 to 36 hours—using the same Bates number the document previously bore to ensure consistency and continuity in the files posted on Friday,” she wrote.
The Friday release included the names of several public figures, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, and British politician Peter Mandelson.
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