Epstein’s brother alleges DOJ is ‘scrubbing’ Republican names from files in a Virginia facility

Mark Epstein claimed that the Department of Justice is 'sanitizing' Epstein files to remove Republican names but offered no evidence to support it
Mark Epstein alleged the Department of Justice is removing Republican names from Jeffrey Epstein files in Virginia (Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)
Mark Epstein alleged the Department of Justice is removing Republican names from Jeffrey Epstein files in Virginia (Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)


WASHINGTON, DC: Mark Epstein, the brother of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, alleged that the Department of Justice is removing the names of Republicans from the Epstein files at a facility in Winchester, Virginia.

The Justice Department continues to face scrutiny over its heavily redacted release of the Epstein files related to the disgraced financier. The DOJ is accused of failing to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the agency to release all files on Epstein with only limited redactions.

Mark Epstein says DOJ is 'sanitizing these files'

On December 19, the Justice Department released only a fraction of its files on Jeffrey Epstein, with redactions that were widely criticized and, by some, described as unlawful.

President Donald Trump initially opposed efforts to compel the Department of Justice to release the files and dismissed inquiries surrounding the disgraced financier as a “hoax” created by Democrats. He later reversed his position after it became clear that enough Republicans were not aligned with his objections.

Michael Jackson and Jeffrey Epstein seen together in this photo released by the Justice Department on Friday, December 19. (Department of Justice)
Michael Jackson and Jeffrey Epstein seen together in this photo released by the Justice Department on Friday, December 19 (Department of Justice)

During an appearance on Monday, December 22, on NewsNation, Mark Epstein said, “I've been recently told [that] the reason they’re gonna be releasing these things, and the reason for the flip is that they’re sanitizing these files.”

He added, “There’s a facility in Winchester, Virginia, where they’re scrubbing the files to take Republican names out. That’s what I was told by a pretty good source.” However, Mark provided no additional evidence to support his claims.

(DOJ)
Former President Bill Clinton is seen standing next to Jeffrey Epstein (Department of Justice)

Mark has not been accused of any wrongdoing and has said he was unaware of his brother’s crimes until 2006. He has also publicly questioned the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death in 2019, which has fueled speculation due to several unusual aspects of the case.

Clinton camp urges Trump to release all Epstein files

A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton urged the Trump administration to release all remaining materials from the Epstein case that mention or reference the former president.

The Clinton camp accused the Department of Justice of selectively disclosing documents in a manner that fueled insinuations without providing full context.

In a statement, Clinton spokesperson Angel Urena called on President Donald Trump to direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to immediately make public all remaining Epstein-related records that refer to the former president.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 11: Bill Clinton attends An Evening With President Bill Clinton And James Patterson:
Bill Clinton attends An Evening With President Bill Clinton And James Patterson: 'The First Gentleman' at 92NY on June 11, 2025, in New York City (Rob Kim/Getty Images)

"These include grand jury transcripts, interview notes, photographs and any other materials that may contain Clinton’s name or image. We call on President Trump to direct Attorney General Bondi to immediately release any remaining materials referring to, mentioning or containing a photograph of Bill Clinton," the spokesperson said.

Ureaa also argued that the piecemeal release of documents risks misleading the public and undermines claims of transparency made by the administration.

The spokesperson added, "Refusal to do so will confirm the widespread suspicion the Department of Justice’s actions to date are not about transparency, but about insinuation."

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Trump skipped the meeting, but his advisers held a second strategy session to coordinate GOP candidates, operations and resources for the midterms
4 hours ago
Zohran Mamdani said NYC lacks authority to enforce the warrant and urged the federal government to join the ICC and arrest Benjamin Netanyahu
6 hours ago
President Donald Trump believes Gianni Infantino is widely respected and has a unique ability to bring people together worldwide
6 hours ago
On Truth Social, Trump said he directed his administration to restore direct US-Lebanon flights, allowing Americans to visit Lebanon more easily
8 hours ago
The court found that Peter Navarro failed to provide evidence showing Donald Trump had formally asserted executive privilege
8 hours ago
Leaving the courtroom, Trump's attorney Alejandro Brito declined to comment on the judge's ruling or say whether Trump would appeal the decision
9 hours ago
Gary Peters criticized Pete Hegseth over the Pentagon's nearly $70 billion funding request, calling the Trump administration's Iran campaign a failure
10 hours ago
Chuck Schumer criticized Donald Trump for downplaying the deaths of 18 US service members, calling his remarks 'beneath contempt'
11 hours ago
The Justice Department is investigating whether Harvard's China-linked scholarships discriminated against American students
18 hours ago
Trump suggested the ally was at fault, saying, 'When you let other people do your work, sometimes that doesn't work out'
18 hours ago