DOJ mishandles Epstein files, leaving survivors' identities exposed

In January the Justice Department made public the largest batch of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, but a subsequent DW investigation uncovered that dozens of those files still disclose identifying details of victims, witnesses and informants. By mid-February DW had harvested more than 800,000 files, noting that over half a million were removed from the site within days of release. Using hash comparisons, the team verified which documents were altered or further redacted after the initial upload.

Collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute’s Media Distribution and Security group revealed that audio recordings often retained unredacted names and phone numbers, highlighting inconsistent redaction methods. The DOJ declined to comment on the findings, and the Office of the Inspector General launched an audit of the department’s adherence to the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Lawmakers have introduced a second version of the act to allow survivors and states to sue the DOJ for future compliance failures.