Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and their lawyers sharply condemned the Justice Department after another release of court files that they said contained egregious redactions and withheld material. A group of survivors in New York asked a judge to pull documents from public view, arguing some released pages exposed the names and images of women who had sought anonymity. The DOJ said it was working “around the clock” to remove those names.
Reporting by Justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane quoted survivors, including Dani Bensky, who described the redactions as “so egregious” and said they were left “speechless” by the handling of the records. Attorneys for victims said the department failed to block the identities of at least 31 people who had been victimized as children; some of those individuals have reported being harassed or sent abusive messages since the materials went public.
The newly disclosed documents included previously unseen images and references, among them a photo of former Prince Andrew and emails between Jeffrey Epstein and several prominent figures, including Howard Lutnick, Elon Musk, and Steve Tisch. All of those named have denied wrongdoing or any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Survivors and advocates reiterated that the case touches many powerful people and expressed frustration at perceived delays and political maneuvering around the disclosures.
President Trump, responding to the release, said the documents showed no wrongdoing by him. The files also contained hundreds of references to physician and author Peter Attia, including a crude message; Attia apologized and said he was not involved in any criminal activity. Paramount Skydance, identified in reports as the owner of CBS News, declined to comment.
Survivors’ attorneys say the episode highlights broader concerns about how sensitive material is handled and the need for rigorous protections for victims’ identities. They are pressing the court and the department for faster, more careful correction of the records and accountability for mistakes that have had immediate harms for those named.