Fact Check: Is Anna Paulina Luna's claim a cyberattack destroyed Epstein investigation files true?

WASHINGTON, DC: A viral claim circulating online alleges that a major cyberattack destroyed the complete investigation files related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. 

The claim gained attention after Rep Anna Paulina Luna discussed alleged missing records, evidence destruction, and FBI involvement during a conversation about efforts to declassify Epstein-related documents. 

The allegation has renewed online speculation about whether important files from the case are missing or permanently lost.

Claim: Anna Luna claimed Epstein files will not be released due to major cyberattack

Luna discussed the Epstein files during an appearance on 'Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Smith,' where she claimed that a major cyberattack affected the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

A viral clip from the podcast shows Luna discussing her efforts to push for the declassification of Epstein-related documents and alleging that evidence was destroyed during the investigation.

In the clip, Luna said, “I was the only member in Congress leading the charge on declassification of the Jeffrey Epstein files in January last year. And then ultimately what I saw, and this could probably be an entire new segment between you and I, like, well, what actually transpired by — we uncovered destruction of evidence under the former deputy director of the FBI."

She also claimed, “I was pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi for the release of the Epstein files, publicly calling for its release, and then at a certain point it then became political, and we have been conducting an investigation in oversight. But the fact is what the American people are not hearing is that we are never going to have the full files.”

Luna further alleged, “Because there was actively a cyberattack that occurred when Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were under investigation in New York. People seem to forget that happened, so I actually don’t think that we had the full deck of cards here specifically about Jeffrey Epstein.”

Fact Check: The claim is misleading

The claim is misleading. A cyberattack did not completely destroy the Epstein investigation files.

While reports have confirmed that a foreign hacker breached an FBI server containing sensitive Epstein-related materials, there is no independent evidence that a major cyberattack wiped out the full investigation records involving Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Anna Paulina Luna has raised concerns about alleged evidence destruction and missing records as part of her oversight efforts and introduced the SHRED Act in 2025, which focused on preventing the improper destruction of federal records.

However, her claims about evidence being destroyed and the files being permanently incomplete have not been independently confirmed through official public reports.

The allegation appears to combine separate issues - a reported cybersecurity breach, concerns over record handling, and ongoing calls for transparency in the Epstein case - to suggest that all files were lost. Available evidence does not show that a cyberattack eliminated the complete Epstein investigation files.