A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has accused the Department of Justice of hiding the identities of at least six men connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
Representatives Thomas Massie, Ro Khanna, Lauren Boebert, and Anna Paulina Luna spent two days reviewing millions of pages of Epstein documents at a secure DOJ facility. Despite being promised unredacted files, they say key names remain blacked out.
What They Found
After a two-hour review on February 9, the lawmakers held a press conference outside the DOJ building. Massie said he found “the names of at least six men that have been redacted that are likely incriminated by their inclusion in these files.”
Khanna added that some of the hidden men had photographs in the documents but gave “no explanation why those people were redacted.”
The group said the individuals include at least one American citizen and one foreigner who may be “pretty high up in foreign government.” They claimed the redactions appear designed to protect powerful people, not victims.
Specific Names Revealed
The review uncovered some significant details:
- Les Wexner, the billionaire founder of L Brands (Victoria’s Secret’s parent company), was labeled a “co-conspirator” in a 2019 FBI file. His name had been redacted in some documents but appeared thousands of times in others. The DOJ unredacted more references to Wexner after lawmakers complained.
- An email linked to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, a prominent Dubai port executive, referenced a “torture video.” The DOJ unredacted some details about this connection after Massie went public, though the email sender’s identity remained hidden.
‘FBI Scrubbed the Files’
Khanna blamed the FBI for the redactions, claiming the agency removed names during the previous Trump administration before sending files to the DOJ. He called this a violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act—a law he and Massie co-sponsored that became law in late 2025.
“The FBI needs to unscrub these files to expose rich and powerful men who raped underage girls,” Khanna said.
Massie warned he might reveal names through congressional channels if the DOJ doesn’t act. He said the focus should be on “the men who Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women to.”
Lawmakers React
Rep. Boebert left the reading room visibly upset. She told reporters the redactions seemed to protect people “talking about underage girls being trafficked,” not just victims. She also said she opposes any clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted accomplice currently serving a prison sentence.
Rep. Luna joined the push for accountability, though her specific comments weren’t immediately detailed.
DOJ Defends Its Position
The Department of Justice defended the redactions as necessary to protect victim privacy and personal information. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department is “committed to transparency” and quickly unredacted some names, including Wexner’s, after the lawmakers raised concerns.
The DOJ noted that over 500 staff members reviewed the materials and that only about 200,000 of the 3+ million pages contained redactions.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office said a formal report on the redactions would be sent to Congress soon.
What Happens Next
The lawmakers criticized what they called “over-redactions” and accused the DOJ of “already breaking the law” by not fully complying with the transparency requirements.
Massie and others have threatened further congressional action if their demands aren’t met. Additional lawmakers are expected to visit the secure reading room in the coming days to conduct their own reviews.
The clash highlights ongoing tension between demands for transparency and concerns about protecting victims in one of the most high-profile sex trafficking cases in US history.
The documents were released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act following the DOJ’s late January release of over 3 million pages from Epstein-related investigations.
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