Epstein’s Brother Claims Files Are ‘Santized,’ FBI Boosts...

By Peter Aitken

Politics Weekend Editor

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Mark Epstein, the brother of convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein, has raised the alarm over potential tampering with the Epstein files, prompting the FBI to bolster security at the facility where they are stored.

Newsweek reached out to the FBI by email on Friday morning for comment.

Why It Matters

The process to release the Epstein files has been long and fraught with complications: President Donald Trump, during the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, suggested he would release the Epstein files upon returning to the White House, but after securing victory, he appeared to downplay the value of the files.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi at one point said she had the files on her desk, requiring a last review before release, only to then say there was no incriminating "list" of Epstein clients.

Trump then spent months calling the controversy around the files and their lack of release a "Democrat hoax" even as further revelations about his ties to Epstein continued to surface during those months, including a personal birthday note he sent to Epstein, and many mentions in subsequently released emails.

But Trump pivoted this week and urged Republicans to support the release of the files after a discharge petition in the House secured the necessary 218 votes to necessitate a vote, and many House Republicans started pledging to support the release despite the president's initial opposition.

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What To Know

Bloomberg, citing two people familiar with FBI operations, reported Friday that the FBI responded to a spiraling situation that developed after a NewsNation phone interview with Mark Epstein, during which he claimed - without proof - that "they" [the Trump administration] are "scrubbing the files" to remove any mention of Republican figures.

"I've been recently told the reason ... for the flip is that they're sanitizing these files. There's a facility in Winchester, Virginia, where they're scrubbing the files to take Republican names out. That's what I was told by a pretty good source," Mark Epstein said.

This echoes the sentiment expressed in a secret recording of DOJ Acting Deputy Chief Joseph Schnitt, in which he said that the government would "redact every Republican or conservative" while leaving "all the Liberal, Democratic people" visible.

Mark Epstein's comments struck a chord on social media, with some users on platforms such as Reddit or X suggesting this is the reason Trump has agreed to release the files. Other users started suggesting that the public needs to take action to secure the files.

The commenters first suggested protesting outside the Central Records Complex, where the files were processed and are currently stored, but soon the talk turned to "at what point do we go from protesting to the next logical progression?" and discussion about securing the files unfolded.

As such, the FBI has deployed uniformed police officers to the facility - the same officers normally patrolling the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to Bloomberg.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump this week wrote on Truth Social: "Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!"

Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb, according USA Today News: “I think he and Bondi have determined that they'll try to use Trump-ordered 'investigations' of Democrats ‒ but not Republicans, as he stated ‒ as a bar to producing anything. I think it'll be a long time before we see anything, although there are certain documents that could be easily produced.”

Republican Representative Clay Higgins, the sole no-vote in the House, on X this week, in part: "I have been a principled 'NO' on this bill from the beginning. What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today. It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America. As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc."

What Happens Next

The extent to which the Epstein files are released remains to be seen. And, when the documents are released, they, and any possible redactions in them, will likely come under a great deal of scrutiny.

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