Washington, December 19 (ANI): Frustration is mounting within the US Justice Department as it races to redact thousands of pages of files related to Jeffrey Epstein ahead of their scheduled release on Friday, multiple sources familiar with the process told CNN.
A substantial number of redactions are required, one source said, with each attorney handling more than 1,000 documents since Thanksgiving week—a time-consuming task that is expected to come down to the wire. Concerns around executive and legal privacy, victims’ protections, and other sensitivities are influencing the redaction decisions.
Lawyers at the DOJ’s National Security Division reportedly feel they are not receiving clear or comprehensive guidance on how to make the maximum amount of information available under the law, several sources told CNN.
Counterintelligence specialists were reportedly asked to set aside nearly all other work to focus on the Epstein files, though some lawyers declined to participate. An act of Congress mandates that the Trump administration release the troves of Epstein-related documents—including grand jury records, FBI files, and internal Justice Department discussions—by Friday, following months of delayed transparency, according to CNN.
Sources indicated that even with Friday’s release, extensive redactions are expected, and the public may continue to scrutinize the lack of transparency. Legal document specialists are preparing for the possibility that the files may contain more redactions than required and that errors could occur in what is redacted or released, particularly concerning sensitive personal information due to the high volume of documents and accelerated work pace.
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