Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes and a group of Democratic members of Congress are asking for an independent review of the Epstein case files to determine whether any of the records have been “tampered” with or concealed, ahead of the release of those files by next week.
In a letter Thursday to the Justice Department’s inspector general, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee asked the internal watchdog to undertake a formal review to check for any “chain of custody” problems with the Epstein files.
Speaking with CBS News, representatives of some Epstein survivors have also asked for a third-party review to check if any record has been “scrubbed, softened, or quietly removed before the public sees it.”
Under a federal law signed by President Trump last month, the Trump administration is required to release virtually all files on the government’s investigations into Epstein by a Dec. 19 deadline, with minimal redactions.
Three federal judges have also issued rulings this month to unseal grand jury records in the criminal investigations into Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. The rulings have opened the door for large batches of investigative materials to be publicly released by the administration for the first time.
The impending releases follow months of pressure from both parties for the Trump administration to disclose more information on the government’s Epstein probes. The financier pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida in the 2000s, and was charged with child sex trafficking in 2019, but died by suicide in federal custody while awaiting trial.
Thursday’s letter from Senate Democrats — including Sen. Adam Schiff of California — pointed to allegations that Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel ordered a massive review of Epstein-related records, “which resulted in around 1,000 FBI personnel working 24-hour shifts and required personnel to identify any mentions of President Trump.”
“To reassure the American public that any files released have not been tampered with or concealed, the chain of custody forms associated with records and evidence in the Epstein files must be accounted for, analyzed, and released,” the request read.
The allegation that federal workers looked for mentions of Mr. Trump was initially leveled over the summer by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vice-chair, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who cited information his office had received. Durbin was one of the signatories of Thursday’s letter. The New York Times later reported that the FBI looked for references to Mr. Trump and other high-profile people.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The inspector general’s office did not comment to CBS News, and generally does not speak about its communication with Congress.
Spencer Kuvin, a civil attorney who has represented a group of Epstein survivors, has also raised concerns about the trustworthiness of the records that are set to be released. Kuvin told CBS News, “There should absolutely be concern about the chain of custody of the Epstein files.”
“These records have passed through too many hands, behind too many closed doors, for anyone to simply assume they’re intact, unaltered, or complete,” Kuvin said. “Survivors have endured decades of secrecy, broken promises, and institutional protection of powerful men; they should not now be asked to trust a process with no independent verification
The Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats are asking for the inspector general to audit the handling of the case files and publicly release results of the audit by Jan. 19. Schiff’s letter to the inspector general said the group would like answers to several questions, including: “how many individuals have obtained custody over the materials” ahead of the release?
In July, the Justice Department moved to unseal grand jury materials in the Epstein and Maxwell investigations, but those initial bids were denied, because federal rules required grand jury proceedings and evidence to be kept secret.
However, after the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Justice Department argued that the law should override grand jury secrecy rules.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-survivors-senate-democrats-audit-to-determine-epstein-files-no-tampering/
