Epstein death review reveals ‘systemic failures’ as Justice Department releases thousands of sealed records
The U.S. Justice Department has released nearly 29,000 pages of long-awaited records related to Jeffrey Epstein, including an internal review detailing serious failures inside the federal jail where he died in 2019. While officials reaffirm Epstein’s death was ruled a suicide, lawmakers and survivors are criticizing the heavily redacted disclosures, arguing the transparency promised by Congress remains incomplete.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice released a massive set of documents relating to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is accused of sex trafficking, and these documents include an investigation report about the circumstances behind his death while in federal custody. These released documents have around 29,000 pages of records, as reported by Reuters.
Among the newly released documents is an “after-action review” document that has 18 pages and closely analyzes the circumstances surrounding the death of Epstein in August 2019. Epstein died in his prison cell while waiting to go to trial for federal sex trafficking cases, which was later found to be a case of suicide. The document states that there was a “significant breakdown in basic correctional processes and communication” in the prison where Epstein was detained.
In this latest release of documents, dozens of videos and internal government records, many of which remain heavily blacked out, also see the light. According to the Justice Department, redactions must be made for the purpose of shielding victims, avoiding the distribution of gruesome content, and thwarting possible investigations.
In a statement posted on the DOJ’s social media platforms, the DOJ admitted that the released documents do indeed hold some “untrue and sensationalist claims” against former President Donald Trump before the 2020 election. According to the DOJ, the statements are, in fact, “unfounded and false” because they would already have been used as political ammunition by now if they were true. However, the DOJ has released the documents as mandated by law while being cautious not to harm Epstein’s victims.
The release of the document is part of the effort by the DOJ to comply with the requirements outlined by the ‘Epstein Files Transparency Act’. The act was signed by Trump earlier this year after its approval by Congress. The act requires the release of all records related to Epstein within 30 days.
Also included in the latest release is an email from June of last year that contains references to a photo of former Trump advisor Steve Bannon's cell phone of Donald Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate, together. The email is redacted except for the content and did not reveal the email addresses of the email's senders and receivers.
Although the releases are still taking place, members of congress as well as some of the women who have accused Epstein of abuse have protested that the Department of Justice has been taking too long to release all the documents at once, as required by the Freedom of Information Act. The department has indicated that further files will continue to be made public as they are processed, which means that still more revelations can be expected.