DOJ slammed for trying to discredit Epstein’s 2019 letter: ‘This is total incompetence’

WASHINGTON, DC: A recent controversy has emerged surrounding a purported 2019 letter written by deceased convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein to fellow offender Larry Nassar.

The Justice Department quickly weighed in, issuing a statement on social media that cast doubt on the letter’s authenticity.

The letter was among more than 30,000 documents released by the United States Department of Justice on Tuesday, December 23, as part of the ongoing Epstein Files disclosure. 

FBI says alleged Epstein letter to Larry Nassar is fake, DOJ confirms

The Department of Justice said Tuesday, “The FBI has confirmed this alleged letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar is FAKE.” According to the statement, “The FBI made this conclusion based on the following facts: The writing does not appear to match Jeffrey Epstein’s.”

Additionally, “The letter was postmarked three days after Epstein's death out of Northern Virginia, when he was jailed in New York.” “The return address did not list the jail where Epstein was held and did not include his inmate number, which is required for outgoing mail,” the statement said.

The DOJ emphasized the importance of verifying documents, stating, “This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual.”

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency, it stated, “Nevertheless, the DOJ will continue to release all material required by law.” Some observers noted that the letter had already been flagged earlier in 2023 by the Associated Press.

DOJ faces backlash over handling of alleged Epstein letter

While many agreed that the letter was likely a forgery, skepticism lingered regarding the motives of the Department of Justice.

The release prompted strong reactions from journalists, political commentators, and media consultants. 

Attorney and political commentator Damin Toell said, "That’s not confirming anything, it’s the same stuff you said before plus what an unnamed person says about how the handwriting 'appears.'"

Roger Sollenberger of The Daily Beast accused the White House of trying to blur the line between credible and non-credible sources. He suggested the administration, "will happily shape this release to try to discredit responsible journalists trying in good faith to report accurately & evenly about what is included in the docs."

Democratic strategist Mike Nellis went further, claiming, “Seems pretty clear to me that the DOJ knowingly released a fake letter from Epstein just to give MAGA influencers a talking point to defend Trump from all the other incriminating shit in these files.”

"What kind of weird shell game is DOJ playing?" wrote media consultant David Clinch. He further said, "Drip drip release of files and then investigating files after they are released? Either this is total incompetence, or it is deliberate obfuscation. Either way, it is all illegal since ALL files should have been released on deadline."

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