Epstein survivors ask inspector general to review Justice Department’s release of files

By Kaanita Iyer, Jake Tapper, CNN

(CNN) — Several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein are asking a Justice Department watchdog to review the agency’s release of files related to the late convicted sex offender, saying the files released so far have failed to protect survivors.

In a letter sent to the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General — an independent office — on Wednesday, 19 survivors criticized the agency’s redaction process. They called for the inspector general to review how the redactions were conducted for the files already released and oversee the future release of documents.

While the thousands of files released so far have been heavily redacted, the survivors said in the letter that in some cases, the Justice Department did not conceal names and identifiers.

“In the files released so far, there has been a troubling pattern of selective redactions,” the survivors wrote. “In multiple instances, names of individuals alleged to have participated in or facilitated abuse appear to have been redacted, while identifying details of survivors were left visible. In some cases, survivors’ names, contextual identifiers, or other information sufficient to identify them publicly were not adequately protected.”

They continued: “This disparity is deeply troubling. Any release of records involving sexual exploitation must prioritize the safety, privacy, and dignity of survivors.”

CNN has asked the Office of Inspector General for comment.

The letter comes as the Justice Department faces enormous pressure to release all the files, which it was ordered to do in December as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed with bipartisan support in Congress and was signed by President Donald Trump after months of resistance on the issue.

Officials at the Justice Department have said they’re acting in good faith to release as much material as fast as possible, while also going through the painstaking work of reviewing every file to make sure victims’ identifies are shielded, as required by the law.

The Justice Department said earlier this month that it has released less than 1% of its Epstein-related files and is reviewing more than two million documents.

“We recognize there are a large number of remaining files that must undergo review,” the survivors said in Wednesday’s letter. “This process should respect the urgency mandated by the legislation, but expediency should not compromise essential safeguards for protecting survivors’ identities.”

Some of the questions the files’ release has raised, according to the survivors, include what standards have been set to govern the redaction process as well as who is conducting a review of the files before they are released and whether survivor advocates and experts have been consulted.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, co-sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, have raised concerns that the Trump administration may improperly redact many of the files, either by releasing information they shouldn’t have, or blacking out too much.

On Tuesday, Khanna and Massie complained to a federal judge about their “urgent and grave concerns about DOJ’s failure to comply with the Act” and asked for an independent third-party to be brought in to check the Justice Department’s compliance with the act.

The judge — Paul Engelmayer in New York, who oversees the protection of victims of Epstein’s convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell — hasn’t decided yet on the request. The Justice Department is set to respond in court by Friday.

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CNN’s Katelyn Polantz and Mary Kay Mallonee contributed to this report.