The U.S. Department of Justice released thousands of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, prompting criticism from elected officials over redactions. The DOJ stated that redactions adhered to legal requirements and did not conceal the names of politicians. However, some, including Rep. Ro Khanna, raised concerns about the lack of explanations for certain redactions, particularly a fully redacted grand jury testimony document.
by JESSICA A. BOTELHO | The National News DeskThis undated, redacted photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Ghislaine Maxwell and former President Bill Clinton swimming with an unknown person.
, along with thousands of documents and records, were made public on Friday afternoon following mounting political pressure and public demands for transparency.reported that the DOJ used the same redaction standards for "politically exposed individuals and government officials" as it did for Epstein's victims."The Justice Department is not redacting the names of any politicians," the DOJ wrote on X. The DOJ then quoted Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch, who told the media outlet that "the only redactions being applied to the documents are those required by law -- full stop. Consistent with the statute and applicable laws, we are not redacting the names of individuals or politicians unless they are a victim.” Several elected officials took to social media to express outrage with the DOJ, including Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie , who co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The legislation, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November, compelled the DOJ to release"The DOJ’s document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law authored by @RepThomasMassie and me," Khanna wrote on X. "One document, 119 pages of Grand Jury testimony, was completely redacted." Khanna's post includes a video, in which he said the Epstein Files Transparency Act required the DOJ to explain redactions. But he said the DOJ failed to do so. "There's not a single explanation for why that entire document was redacted," he said in the footage. "We have not seen the draft indictment that implicates other rich and powerful men who were on Epstein's ... island, who either watched the abuse of young girls or participated in the abuse of young girls." Khanna also criticized U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who previously said there were "no more documents to be seen" but later released a portion of never-before-seen files. "It is an incomplete release with too many redactions," he said, adding that he and Massie were "exploring all options" when it comes to taking action against the DOJ. "We will work with the survivors to demand the full release of these files to demand justice," Khanna added."Unfortunately, today’s document release by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago," Massie wrote on X. "A future DOJ could convict the current AG and others because the Epstein Files Transparency Act is not like a Congressional Subpoena which expires at the end of each Congress," he wrote in a separate post. Among the images, Clinton is seen shirtless lounging in a hot tub with a woman who face was redecorated.One photo appears to show Clinton swimming in a pool alongside Epstein's ex-girlfriend and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, as well a person whose face was redacted.An image seen in newly-released Epstein files from the DOJ. Photos from what appears to be a restaurant show Clinton dining with Rolling Stones' lead singer Mick Jagger. Jagger is seen sitting in between Clinton and Maxwell.Other photos showed him on a private plane, including one with a woman, whose face was redacted, seated alongside him with her arm around him. One photo appears to be of a portrait of Clinton wearing a dress and a pair of high-heels while pointing a finger at the camera.The files do not say when or where the photos were taken and there was little context surrounding them. In a statement, Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said the White House seized the chance to shift the focus of the highly-anticipated documents away from President Donald Trump. Ureña said the Trump administration is "shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they'll try and hide forever.” “They can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn't about Bill Clinton,” Ureña said. “Never has been, never will be.”Three police officers were wounded while responding to a domestic call Friday night on Rochester's west side, according to police.A man in Wayne County is facing several charges following a drug investigation.Rochester, N.Y. — Reggie Johnson and his wife Tara Johnson said they were in bed watching a movie Friday night when loud bangs erupted outside their homeA teenager was hospitalized in life-threatening condition after a Halloween house party where underage drinking was taking place, police say.Rochester, N.Y. New details are surfacing on the death of a mother who was killed in front of her children three years ago.
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