US Justice Department sends letter regarding Epstein files redactions to lawmakers - report

The U.S. Department of Justice provided Congress with a legally required letter outlining redactions in Jeffrey Epstein files, including a list of high-profile individuals mentioned, though the context of their references was not disclosed - report.

Reuters

February 15, 2026

US Justice Department sends letter regarding Epstein files redactions to lawmakers - report

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted and jailed associate of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, eats in her cell in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center in a still image from video dated July 4, 2020 and released by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., on January 30, 2026 as part of a new trove of documents from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

U.S. Justice Department/Reuters

The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to lawmakers regarding redactions in the files pertaining to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Politico reported on Saturday.

The letter, required by law, includes a general description of the types of redactions made, and a list of notable people mentioned in the files in any way.

The letter also includes an extensive list of high-profile people or "politically exposed persons" referenced in the files, even if they had no interactions with Epstein or his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, but were mentioned in sources such as press clippings. The letter, sent to the leaders of the Senate and House Judiciary committees, does not state in what context a name appears.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

-Reporting by Christian Martinez in Los Angeles; Editing by Sergio Non and Matthew Lewis/Reuters