Epstein survivors, Senate Democrats request audit of Epstein files before release
Jeffrey Epstein sex-crime survivors and Senate Democrats have requested an audit of all files related to the accused sex trafficker’s case before their upcoming release. They want to know whether any records have been altered or concealed.
Earlier this month, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. It requires the Department of Justice to release all its files on investigations of Epstein by Dec. 19.
In recent days, federal judges have also ordered the DOJ to release all grand jury files related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was his former girlfriend and longtime associate. She was convicted of federal sex trafficking charges in 2021.
The request
Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., sent a letter Thursday to the Justice Department’s inspector general’s office. The letter asks that it “conduct a prompt audit of all chain of custody forms relating to the records DOJ is required to release under the act.”
Schiff and Durbin said the audit will confirm to Congress and the public that the files “are identical to those collected by law enforcement, other than any legally required redactions.”
The forms Schiff and Durbin requested include the following facts:
- Who had custody of the specific evidence.
- When the individual had control or possession of the evidence.
- When and to whom evidence was transferred.
- Any analysis or testing performed on the evidence.
- The storage and disposition of the evidence.
Schiff and Durbin said these documents show in detail the chain of custody, which would prevent questions concerning contamination, tampering or concealment.
The senators noted that the request is not an accusation, but rather a request for transparency.
“We trust that such issues [tampering] are rare at the FBI, whose career professionals have long worked tirelessly to protect public safety,” the two wrote. “However, in the context of the Epstein files, political interference in the review and release of the files, and public reporting about the large number of individuals who already participated in redacting the files, additional information is required to satisfy public confidence in DOJ’s handling of this matter.”
Epstein survivors weigh in
An attorney for some of the Epstein survivors also raised concerns about the trustworthiness of the records.
“There should absolutely be concern about the chain of custody of the Epstein files,” attorney Spencer Kuvin said in a statement to CBS News.
“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.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
