DOJ Removes Thousands of Epstein Files After Redaction Flaws, Court Hearing Cancelled
Updated (5 articles)
Redaction failures exposed victim identities and sensitive data The Justice Department’s February 3 release of millions of Epstein‑related records included unredacted nude photographs, email addresses, banking details and even a credit‑card number, putting nearly 100 survivors at risk [1][2][3][4]. Victims reported that the disclosures led to death threats, account closures and “life‑threatening” harassment [2][3][4]. Investigators and news outlets documented dozens of uncensored images and personal identifiers that could be revealed with a simple double‑click [3][4].
DOJ acted to pull flagged documents and revise procedures After complaints, the department removed all pages flagged by victims or counsel and announced a review of “a substantial number” of additional files [1][3]. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton attributed the errors to technical or human mistakes and said new flag‑ging protocols would post redacted versions within 24‑36 hours [3]. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche claimed the remaining unredacted material represented only .001 % (or 0.1 % per a DOJ spokesperson) of the total release [1][4].
Victims’ lawyers pressed for immediate judicial intervention Attorneys Brittany Henderson and Brad Edwards filed an urgent letter to Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer demanding the DOJ take down millions of documents still containing names, including a minor’s name appearing 20 times in one file [4]. They highlighted that only three of the reported redaction errors had been corrected and warned that each day the files remained online increased harm to survivors [4]. The lawyers also sought a temporary website shutdown and an independent monitor, though settlement terms were not disclosed [2].
Court hearing cancelled following settlement to protect identities Judge Richard M. Berman dismissed the scheduled public hearing after receiving notice of a privacy‑protecting agreement between the victims’ counsel and the Justice Department [2]. The settlement aims to prevent further exposure of the nearly 100 victims identified in the flawed release [2]. With the hearing cancelled, the judge expressed satisfaction that the DOJ and survivors had resolved the privacy concerns [1].
Sources
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1.
BBC: DOJ Pulls Thousands of Epstein Files After Redaction Errors Expose Victims: reports the DOJ’s removal of flagged documents after victims complained that unredacted emails and nude photos endangered nearly 100 survivors, notes the cancellation of a court hearing and cites a law mandating mass release with redaction .
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2.
AP: Deal Reached to Protect Identities of Epstein Victims: details a settlement between victims’ lawyers and the Justice Department that led Judge Berman to cancel a public hearing, emphasizes victims’ threats and the request for a website shutdown and independent monitor .
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3.
AP: Justice Department pulls thousands of Epstein files after redaction errors: describes the DOJ’s withdrawal of thousands of records after lawyer complaints, outlines the technical/human error explanation, and notes the victims’ attorneys demanding urgent court action .
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4.
CNN: Victims’ Lawyers Demand Immediate Removal of Unredacted Epstein Files: focuses on the lawyers’ urgent letter to two judges demanding removal of millions of documents, cites the DOJ’s claim that only 0.1 % of pages remain unredacted, and highlights survivor threats and the call for swift judicial intervention .
Timeline
2020 – The U.S. Virgin Islands files a civil racketeering lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, accusing it of fraudulently obtaining over $80 million in tax breaks and operating a sex‑trafficking scheme[3].
2020‑present – Ghislaine Maxwell serves a 20‑year federal sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex‑trafficking network, providing background to the ongoing investigations whose documents the DOJ releases[4].
2021 – Plaintiffs amend the Virgin Islands complaint to add new redaction‑bearing allegations, including claims that attorney Darren Indyke paid more than $400,000 to young models and facilitated forced marriages for immigration purposes[3].
Mar 2022 – A court exhibit tied to the Virgin Islands case contains the same faulty redaction that later appears in the DOJ’s publicly posted Epstein Library, linking the glitch to earlier litigation[3].
2022 – The Virgin Islands settles a separate matter with Epstein’s estate for over $105 million, concluding its financial claims against the estate[3].
2025 – Congress passes a bipartisan law mandating the Justice Department to release three million pages, 180 000 images and 2 000 videos from Epstein investigations, with required redaction of identifying victim details[1].
Dec 24, 2025 – Researchers on Reddit and TikTok expose a redaction glitch that reveals concealed text; CNN confirms the flaw affects a tiny subset of DOJ‑posted materials and traces it back to the 2020 Virgin Islands case[3].
Feb 2, 2026 – The Justice Department announces it has withdrawn several thousand court records and media files after lawyers flag sloppy redactions that expose names, nude photos and banking details of nearly 100 victims[5].
Feb 2, 2026 – Victims’ attorneys Brittany Henderson and Brad Edwards send an urgent letter to Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer demanding immediate judicial intervention to force removal of millions of online Epstein documents that still contain victims’ identities[2].
Feb 2, 2026 – Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche tells “This Week” that redaction errors affect only 0.001 percent of the material and that the DOJ rectifies each complaint “immediately,” while acknowledging “mistakes were made”[2].
Feb 3, 2026 – A settlement between victims’ lawyers and the DOJ is reached in Manhattan federal court, establishing a privacy‑protecting deal that leads Judge Richard Berman to cancel a scheduled public hearing[4].
Feb 3, 2026 – U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton writes to the court that the redaction problems stem from “technical or human error,” notes that the department has revised flagging procedures, and pledges to post redacted versions within 24‑36 hours[5].
Feb 3, 2026 – The DOJ removes all flagged documents from its website after victims say the releases compromise their identities; a DOJ spokesperson asserts that only 0.1 % of pages contain unredacted victim information[1].
Feb 4, 2026 – A New York court hearing is cancelled after the DOJ and victims resolve privacy concerns, reflecting the settlement’s effectiveness in preventing further exposure of survivor identities[1].
All related articles (5 articles)
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BBC: DOJ Pulls Thousands of Epstein Files After Redaction Errors Expose Victims
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AP: Deal Reached to Protect Identities of Epstein Victims
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AP: Justice Department pulls thousands of Epstein files after redaction errors
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CNN: Victims’ Lawyers Demand Immediate Removal of Unredacted Epstein Files
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CNN: Botched Epstein redactions trace back to Virgin Islands’ 2020 civil racketeering case against Epstein estate
External resources (9 links)
- https://www.justice.gov/epstein/court-records (cited 1 times)
- https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Matter%20of%20the%20Estate%20of%20Jeffrey%20E.%20Epstein,%20Deceased,%20No.%20ST-21-RV-00005%20(V.I.%20Super.%20Ct.%202021)/2022.03.17-1%20Exhibit%201.pdf (cited 1 times)
- https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/ (cited 1 times)
- https://usvipublicportal-api.vicourts.org/courts/87edff36-c02b-4073-aea4-c0652bc123d9/cms/case/054842c5-ab8c-4876-b7bb-f449f693a969/docketentrydocuments/3477e758-fd6f-4495-99db-817a85cf1c7a (cited 1 times)
- https://usvipublicportal-api.vicourts.org/courts/87edff36-c02b-4073-aea4-c0652bc123d9/cms/case/5bceb570-8e45-4645-be03-eb91ec7ea7a5/docketentrydocuments/70f202b5-ccb0-410b-a0ac-16aed48ea5f7 (cited 1 times)
- https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26777416-doj-response-in-epstein-case-request/ (cited 1 times)