University of Kwazulu-Natal

Epstein Release Has New Photos And Court Files But Much Is Redacted

Bonisiwe Shabane
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epstein release has new photos and court files but much is redacted

Updated on: December 21, 2025 / 1:38 PM EST / CBS News The Justice Department released thousands of new records on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, but at least 550 pages in the documents were fully redacted in the initial release, CBS News has... The newly released files included photos of several prominent people in Epstein's orbit, images from his homes and investigative records that detail disturbing allegations against the late sex offender. But the heavy redactions in many of the records have drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, as the department defends its handling of the files. One series of three consecutive documents — totaling 255 pages — is entirely redacted, with each page covered by a black box. A fourth 119-page document labeled "Grand Jury-NY" is also entirely redacted.

At least 180 blacked-out pages appear in files that are mostly but not entirely redacted. In some cases, a cover page, a photo of a folder or something else that isn't fully redacted precedes several pages that are entirely obscured by a black box. Late Friday afternoon, the Justice Department began releasing thousands of pages of files and communications related to Jeffrey Epstein. The new documents include photos, call logs, court filings and more. White House correspondent Liz Landers reports on the release and discusses more with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna.

Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. Late this afternoon, the Justice Department began releasing thousands of pages of files and communications related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The new documents include photos, call logs, court filings, and more, many of them heavily redacted. Our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, joins us now. So, Liz, you and our team have been reading through these documents.

What stands out so far? The Justice Department released another tranche of documents—this time with many more references to President Donald Trump—on Tuesday in an effort to quell public demand for transparency in the investigation into convicted sex offender... But which names in the documents have been redacted—and which haven’t—have raised some eyebrows. The DOJ drew criticism for failing to meet a Dec. 19 deadline to publish the entirety of the so-called Epstein files after publishing thousands of files over the weekend that included many redactions—with some pages entirely blacked out. The department attributed the delay to needing to ensure the privacy of victims and their families, which is legally mandated, and said that was also the reason that it removed and then reuploaded certain...

The DOJ has also called on career prosecutors in Florida to volunteer over the “next several days” to help redact the Epstein files, according to an internal memo, suggesting that more files may be... The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the Justice Department not to withhold or delay the release of files “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official.” “President Trump is leading the most transparent administration in American history,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X on Friday. In a fact sheet, the Justice Department said it is “redacting only what is legally required,” which is “identifying information about the victims, minors, or potential victims, as well as privileged material. NO redactions have been or will be made to protect famous individuals or politically exposed persons.” But a group of Epstein survivors on Monday, prior to the latest release, criticized the partial release of files as being “riddled with abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation.”

Hundreds of images depict sex offender with pop stars, Bill Clinton and women whose faces are redacted From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important... At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum.

And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Thousands of documents from investigations into Jeffrey Epstein have finally been released by President Donald Trump’s administration after months of public pressure. The Department of Justice began releasing its files on Friday on the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Many documents, which include interview transcripts and call logs, have been heavily redacted. The Justice Department has released files relating to the life, death and criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein - well, at least some of them.

The law signed by President Trump last month had directed the DOJ to turn over the documents by Friday. NPR's Stephen Fowler has been reviewing the files and joins us. Stephen, thanks for being with us. FOWLER: Well, on the surface, it sure looked like a lot. Justice.gov/epstein went live around 4 p.m. And there was a queue you had to wait in before accessing the page.

The Epstein library contained well over 100,000 pages of court records, Freedom of Information Act files, memoranda from the Justice Department and videos from outside Epstein's federal prison cell, where he died by suicide... SIMON: Feels like there's more to the story. FOWLER: Well, yeah. It's not all the files. And in the grand scheme of what was released, there aren't that many things that are actually new, Scott. Notably, there aren't many mentions of the president in this latest release.

He was a longtime friend of Epstein before they had a falling out and has appeared in previously released files. Eighty percent of it comes from public court records from more than 50 cases against Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and others. There's about 4,000 files, 8,500 pages, that fall under this new Transparency Act. Most of those are photos of Epstein's estate and his travels with people like former President Bill Clinton, among others. And there's this previously undisclosed FBI report from 1996 - 30 years ago - that accused Epstein of child pornography crimes and allegedly threatened to burn the accuser's house down if she told anyone... Even then, there are hundreds of pages, just straight-up redacted black boxes all over things like grand jury information that do leave a lot of questions.

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. Rather than settling matters, the government’s release of the Epstein files has had the opposite effect. Heavy redactions of files released by the Justice Department fly in the face of a new law Congress passed to require the document dump, sparking new calls for transparency and questions about coverups. “Nobody is buying this bogus Epstein release,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican who co-wrote the law, which most congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump only supported after months of pressure for transparency.

Photos featuring former President Bill Clinton were among the first released, meeting the new law’s deadline. Documents mentioning Trump came days later, as the Christmas holiday neared.

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Updated On: December 21, 2025 / 1:38 PM EST /

Updated on: December 21, 2025 / 1:38 PM EST / CBS News The Justice Department released thousands of new records on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, but at least 550 pages in the documents were fully redacted in the initial release, CBS News has... The newly released files included photos of several prominent people in Epstein's orbit, images from his homes and investigative record...

At Least 180 Blacked-out Pages Appear In Files That Are

At least 180 blacked-out pages appear in files that are mostly but not entirely redacted. In some cases, a cover page, a photo of a folder or something else that isn't fully redacted precedes several pages that are entirely obscured by a black box. Late Friday afternoon, the Justice Department began releasing thousands of pages of files and communications related to Jeffrey Epstein. The new docume...

Notice: Transcripts Are Machine And Human Generated And Lightly Edited

Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. Late this afternoon, the Justice Department began releasing thousands of pages of files and communications related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The new documents include photos, call logs, court filings, and more, many of them heavily redacted. Our White House corres...

What Stands Out So Far? The Justice Department Released Another

What stands out so far? The Justice Department released another tranche of documents—this time with many more references to President Donald Trump—on Tuesday in an effort to quell public demand for transparency in the investigation into convicted sex offender... But which names in the documents have been redacted—and which haven’t—have raised some eyebrows. The DOJ drew criticism for failing to me...

The DOJ Has Also Called On Career Prosecutors In Florida

The DOJ has also called on career prosecutors in Florida to volunteer over the “next several days” to help redact the Epstein files, according to an internal memo, suggesting that more files may be... The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the Justice Department not to withhold or delay the release of files “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including...