Report: FBI on ‘Frenzied Mission’ to Redact Epstein Files Ahead of Release
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is reportedly working overtime on a “frenzied mission” to redact the Epstein files before they are released to the public.
The FBI is reviewing documents and other evidence related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein in order to make redactions before the Department of Justice (DOJ) releases them to the public, people familiar with the matter told CNN.
Due to the Trump administration’s promise for transparency, coupled with public interest in issues surrounding Epstein’s death and whether or not prominent figures could be implicated in the disgraced financier’s alleged crimes when he was alive, the FBI is now “frantically” working around the clock.
Some agents have even been asked to momentarily set aside other investigations to help complete the redactions, while others have worked on the project all weekend in the Washington field office, sources told the outlet.
“Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, the Department of Justice is working relentlessly to deliver unprecedented transparency for the American people,” a DOJ spokesperson told CNN, adding, “All appropriate administrative and legal requirements are being adhered to.”
All week, agents were seen filing into a room at FBI headquarters, where they sat for hours “at banks of computers, using editing software to identify redactions required under federal laws, including the Privacy Act,” the outlet reported of its sources’ claims.
Other FBI agents, meanwhile, were seen heading into the agency’s field offices in New York and Virginia to work on the redaction project, the sources reportedly added.
The move comes after influencers received Epstein files in a binder last month, resulting in criticism from the public, as the documents were underwhelming and contained information that was already publicly available.
While DOJ and FBI officials reportedly believe the second tranche of files that are set to be released in the coming days will not include any bombshells, one official maintained to CNN that the public will be granted access to more information than they would have if U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi hadn’t ordered the review.
“The goal is transparency,” the DOJ official said.
Meanwhile, Bondi wrote in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, “There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access.”
“The Department of Justice will ensure any public disclosure of these files will be done in a manner to protect the privacy of victims and in accordance with law, as I have done my entire career as prosecutor,” she added.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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