The Kentucky congressman says Justice Department officials corrected redactions after he reviewed unsealed Epstein records, raising new questions about withheld identities in trafficking and torture-related documents.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Rep. Thomas Massie said Monday that the Justice Department improperly redacted the names of individuals listed as alleged co-conspirators—rather than victims—in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, prompting corrections after he raised the issue publicly.
Appearing on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Massie said that after reviewing unredacted Epstein files at the Justice Department, he discovered that the name of former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner had been withheld despite Wexner being identified as a co-conspirator. Massie said the redaction was later reversed after he questioned it on social media.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche responded online that the department had now unredacted Wexner’s name and said the businessman’s name already appears thousands of times in the Epstein records, adding that the DOJ was “hiding nothing.” Massie replied that the redaction itself was the problem and said the correction amounted to an admission of error.
Massie said the issue extended beyond Wexner. He cited a previously redacted email exchange involving Epstein that included the line “I loved the torture video.” According to Massie, the recipient of that message was Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. Massie said Blanche’s subsequent response to his inquiry amounted to a tacit acknowledgment of the identification.
“This is significant,” Massie said, because it directly contradicts earlier congressional testimony by Kash Patel that the FBI had no evidence of other sex traffickers connected to Epstein.
Blanche later said that some redactions were made to protect “personally identifiable information,” but Massie countered that the individuals he flagged were not victims and should not have been treated as such in the records.
The controversy sparked reactions from multiple lawmakers and public figures. Elon Musk wrote on X that “Lex Wexner is co-conspirator of Epstein.” Rep. Nancy Mace questioned publicly why such names had been withheld, while Rep. Lauren Boebert said after reviewing the files that she did not believe everyone discussing the trafficking of underage girls could be considered a victim.
Massie said he intends to disclose additional names but is giving the Justice Department time to correct remaining redactions before doing so. On Tuesday, he said the department had already fixed some of the issues he raised.
Asked about the possibility of executive clemency for Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Boebert said she opposed it, calling Maxwell’s actions “absolutely disgusting” and arguing she should face harsher prison conditions.