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What’s missing from the Epstein files release

The Justice Department’s long-awaited release Friday of documents related to the federal government’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein was perhaps most notable for what it lacked.

Financial records, internal memos from prosecutors who investigated Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking ring, key material obtained from the searches of Epstein’s palatial homes — none of it figured prominently in the documents released Friday.

Interested in records that would help explain how Epstein grew so wealthy? None to be found.

Want to read emails from federal prosecutors deciding who to charge — and, equally importantly, who not to charge — during their 2019 investigation? You’re out of luck.

Curious about the role of Maurene Comey, the prosecutor who co-led the probes into Epstein and his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, before being fired without explanation in July? Nothing from her to see here.

The department was obligated by law to release the entire universe of documents related to Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, and Maxwell, who was convicted of aiding and participating in his sex-trafficking ring, by Friday. The tranche made public represented only a fraction of the total material, which the government has said exceeds 300 gigabytes worth of data and physical evidence.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, estimated the production included only about 10 percent of the material in the department’s possession.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche promised Friday there’s more to come, saying “additional responsive materials will be produced as our review continues, consistent with the law and with protections for victims.” The department hasn’t provided guidance as to when it plans to release more documents, although Blanche indicated in a letter to Congress that production will be complete by the end of the year.

There were some notable materials in Friday’s document dump, including a photograph of former President Bill Clinton in a pool with Maxwell and another woman, whose face was obscured as part of the redaction process. There were videos of police interviews from the 2005 investigation of Epstein in Florida, as well as what appeared to be notes for an Epstein attorney to prepare for a conversation with Alex Acosta, then the top federal prosecutor in Florida who cut a sweetheart plea deal with Epstein.

But most of the material disclosed Friday had either already been made public, was heavily redacted or simply didn’t advance the public understanding of the many mysteries surrounding the Epstein saga.

Many of those pushing for the release of the files expressed dismay and frustration with the outcome.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), one of the sponsors of the bill ordering the department to make the documents public, told reporters he was disappointed in the quantity of files made public by the Justice Department and pushed for federal officials to set out a clear timeline for the release of all remaining documents.

Khanna said lawmakers could eventually explore impeachment proceedings for Blanche and Attorney General Pam Bondi or even refer Justice Department officials for criminal prosecution if they’ve engaged in excessive redaction or tampering.

A spokesperson for the department didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the bill’s lead GOP sponsor, backed him up, saying the disclosure “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago.”

And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed the disclosure. “Simply releasing a mountain of blacked out pages violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the law,” he said in a statement. “For example, all 119 pages of one document were completely blacked out. We need answers as to why.

Gregory Svirnovskiy contributed to this report.

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

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