The United States Department of Justice has removed several thousand documents and media files related to Jeffrey Epstein from its website after victims reported that their identities had been compromised. The removal came after attorneys for survivors described the release as the single most egregious violation of victim privacy in one day in United States history.
The DOJ released approximately three million pages, 180,000 images, and 2,000 videos on Friday as part of a mandated disclosure of Epstein-related files. However, flawed redactions left the full names of 43 out of 47 victims completely unredacted, exposing them to potential harassment and retaliation. The exposed materials reportedly included nude photographs showing faces of potential victims, as well as names, email addresses, and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured.
Attorneys Brittany Henderson and Brad Edwards wrote to judges on Sunday describing the catastrophic impact on survivors. One victim reported that the release was life threatening, while another stated she had received death threats after 51 entries included her private banking information, forcing her to shut down her credit cards and accounts. The attorneys emphasized that the breach had turned upside down the lives of nearly 100 survivors who had trusted the justice system to protect their privacy.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton responded in a letter stating that all documents requested by victims or their counsel to be removed had been taken down for further redaction. A DOJ spokesperson claimed the department takes victim protection very seriously and noted that to date only 0.001 percent of released pages had contained unredacted victim-identifying information. The department attributed the failures to various factors including technical or human error.
The massive document release was mandated by legislation requiring disclosure of Epstein-related materials. Attorney General Pamela Bondi had overseen the initial release of declassified files as part of ongoing transparency efforts. However, victims advocates argue that the rushed disclosure prioritized speed over safety, causing irreparable harm to survivors who had already endured significant trauma. A federal judge has scheduled a conference to address the privacy violations and determine next steps for protecting victim identities in future releases.
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