The Department of Justice has been accused of redacting entire documents in the Epstein files that were released on Friday, enraging the general public who had been waiting for new revelations about the disgraced New York financier.
The law that compels the release of the documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in a New York jail cell in 2019, laid out specific guidelines on what could and could not legally be redacted.
One of the stipulations was that nothing could be withheld solely because it ’embarrassed’ a government official or public figure.
The idea that bombshell information would come out has largely not lived up to expectations in the hour or so after the DOJ announced that a searchable website had been created so anyone could peruse the documents.
The search function did not work immediately, which meant journalists and normal folks alike have to pore through hundreds of thousands of pages of materials. Now, it is possible to enter terms like ‘Ghislaine Maxwell’ and get results. Though, searches of ‘Donald Trump’ or ‘Bill Clinton’ still turn up nothing.
Social media users have already shown abject frustration that some documents are fully redacted without a single shred of identifying information contained within them.
‘One of the Epstein documents is just 100 straight pages of entirely redacted pdf. Just black rectangles. No gaps,’ one person wrote.
‘The world is ran by a pedo elite but the general public will likely never know the full story. 90% of the released Epstein files are fully redacted,’ another raged.
A undated photo of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from Friday’s tranche of documents from the Department of Justice
Social media users were outraged that many of the documents released by the DOJ were entirely redacted
‘No way this is real. The whole thing is [redacted]. This isn’t “releasing” anything, this is lack of transparency.’
Brian Krassenstein, a liberal influencer on X, said he opened a file about Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial, only to find that it was redacted.
Social media users also pointed out that many images in the Epstein files are redacted as well.
However, some photos that were included in the files have already generated plenty of reactions.
Former President Bill Clinton, for example, was seen lazing about in a pool with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and sex trafficking accomplice.
Clinton was also seen in a photo with Epstein himself where both men were wearing satin shirts with loud patterns.
Epstein was also seen with Michael Jackson in an undated photograph. The late King of Pop was also seen with Clinton, though it was unclear if this was a different occasion.
The front man of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, was seen in a photo seated in between Clinton and Epstein at a table.
Billionaire Richard Branson was also seen in a photo with Epstein.
Bill Clinton was seen frolicking in a swimming pool with Ghislaine Maxwell in bombshell images from the latest Epstein files release
Epstein was also seen cozying up to the former president in the image release on Friday
In one image shared Friday, Clinton was seen with his hands on the shoulders of actor Kevin Spacey
Sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is among those pictured in the release, including one outside Number 10 Downing Street
The context in which the pictures were taken is unknown, as is the date of the photographs
Billionaire Richard Branson was also seen in a photo with Epstein
A photo that appears to depict one of Epstein’s birthday celebrations
In this photo, that was likely from the same day given that Epstein is wearing the same white bathrobe, his face is covered in a green clay mask
Photos of actor Kevin Spacey were also included in Friday’s release, though none have emerged that show him in the vicinity of Epstein or Maxwell.
Maxwell, who is currently serving 20 years for her role in recruiting and sex trafficking minors for Epstein, is pictured in one photograph outside the Prime Minister’s office in London.
In another image, Maxwell pulled down the front of her top for the camera. The context for many of these photos remain unknown.
One set of photos appear to be from one of Epstein’s birthday celebrations, as he is wearing a party hat.
In another photo from what was likely the same day, given that he is wearing the same white bathrobe, his face is covered in a green clay mask.
The DOJ’s document dump today was 30 days in the making. When President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 19, it gave the nation’s top law enforcement agency a month to comb through millions of investigative materials to prime them for release.
During a press conference on drug prices that was scheduled ahead of the release, Trump refused to take questions about the subject.
‘I think that is a very big statement, and what happened here is the biggest statement of all, because no one thought anything like this was possible,’ Trump said. ‘And I think based on that, I won’t even take questions today because there’s no way I can take questions that are anywhere comparable to what you just witnessed. You just witnessed drug prices that will go down at levels never thought even possible…Never thought even possible.’
Over the coming hours and days, many more revelations will be reported as news outlets continue to explore the truly gargantuan number of files.
