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Congress to review unredacted Epstein files
Members of Congress are expected to gain access to unredacted files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as questions continue about transparency, accountability and whether additional prosecutions could follow.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Members of Congress are expected to gain access to unredacted files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as questions continue about transparency, accountability and whether additional prosecutions could follow.
Document Review
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The Justice Department said lawmakers will be allowed to review millions of unredacted documents starting Monday. The review will be conducted in person using Justice Department computers. Lawmakers must give advance notice, can take notes and will not be allowed to make copies of the documents.
The move comes after years of scrutiny surrounding Epstein, his associates and the scope of investigations tied to the case. Lawmakers have described the review as a step toward transparency.
Eric O’Neill, a former FBI counterintelligence operative and national security attorney, said allowing lawmakers to review the material is a positive development, though questions remain about how useful the access will be.
"I think it's a good move. It does allow some of the harshest critics of the release of now 3.5 million pages of information to take a look through the files," O’Neill said.
Still, O’Neill said the format of the review — sometimes called an "in-camera" review — may limit broader public understanding. He also noted concerns about how the most recent document release was organized and redacted.
"If you looked at the most recent data dump, it wasn't really categorized very well," O’Neill said. "There has been scrutiny about the redactions, that they're inconsistent, that some victims' names were left in."
A Slow Process
Piles of documents:
O’Neill said the volume of material made a fast release difficult, noting earlier transparency requirements placed tight timelines on federal agencies.
"It is far too much information and redactions are taken seriously," O’Neill said, adding that releasing the documents on an accelerated timeline likely contributed to redaction issues.
The latest release includes a large amount of multimedia evidence, O’Neill said, along with references to well-known individuals.
"This latest release has more than 2,000 videos in it and I think the last count 180,000 images," O’Neill said. "There are a lot of names in here of prominent people. Now that doesn't mean that these prominent people have committed crimes."
O’Neill said one major concern is whether the documents suggest additional investigations or prosecutions are underway.
"One of the biggest problems I have with this latest release is it does not indicate that there are any ongoing investigations or prosecutions," he said.
Officials have noted that the presence of disturbing material does not necessarily support criminal charges, which has been disappointing to some who pushed for the documents’ release.
"We know that there are over a thousand victims, which means that there are perpetrators who are not going to be prosecuted, and that is problematic," O’Neill said.
What's next:
While additional documents may still be released, O’Neill said he is uncertain whether future disclosures will significantly change public understanding.
"I suspect that we will get more of the same redactions that cause people consternation," he said. "Without seeing all the information … conspiracy theories will continue."
O’Neill said continued scrutiny, public interest and potential future document releases mean the story is likely far from over.
The Source: Original reporting by Allie Rasmus of KTVU