Victims' Attorney Helene Weiss blasts DOJ’s handling of Epstein files, says it's a 'complete mess'
WASHINGTON, DC: An attorney for several Jeffrey Epstein survivors has condemned the Justice Department's handling of the recent document release, labeling the process a 'complete mess' that fails to meet legal transparency standards.
Helene Weiss criticized the department for prioritizing defensive political statements over the proper protection of victim identities.
Legal expert attacks DOJ over disorganized Epstein disclosures
Helene Weiss, a former sex crimes prosecutor and legal representative for multiple survivors, has lashed out at the DOJ regarding the partial and disorganized disclosure of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
Weiss argued that the release fell significantly short of the mandates set by the 'Epstein Files Transparency Act.'
She targeted the DOJ’s decision to include a defensive statement alongside documents that mention President Trump.
In that statement, the DOJ dismissed certain allegations against the president as 'untrue and sensationalist,' asserting, “To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.”
Helene Weiss claims DOJ failed to redact victims names
Speaking to CNN Central News, Weiss noted that while survivors had been waiting for these records since December 19, the documents they 'received were, again, heavily redacted.'
“They included some very inappropriate redactions, and now we have the DOJ issuing a defensive statement when it was really their job to release these documents, properly redacting victims’ names, which they completely failed to do,” she said.
She added, “It was their job to provide us with documents with appropriate redactions, and they failed.”
Despite the DOJ and Attorney General Pam Bondi claiming that redactions were intended to shield minors and protect privacy, several survivors discovered their names had been left exposed, leading Weiss to conclude, “What the DOJ has delivered is, quite frankly, a complete mess.”
Where are the survivors' interview notes, asks Helene Weiss
Furthermore, Weiss questioned the whereabouts of a large collection of testimony from other women who cooperated with federal authorities over the years, emphasizing that the public and the victims deserve to see the full scope of the investigative trail.
She pointed out that the DOJ is yet to produce materials related to Maria Farmer, a pivotal figure who attempted to alert the FBI to Epstein’s crimes as early as 1996.
“We don’t have Maria’s interview notes,” Weiss stated. “We also know that many survivors have interview notes. Dozens and dozens of survivors have reported that they spoke with the FBI—that they were interviewed by the FBI. Where are the victim interviews?”
