DOJ's Epstein File Redactions Bypassed With Simple Copy-Paste

The Justice Department tried to black out Jeffrey Epstein's secrets. But it turns out, all it took to reveal them was a simple copy-paste. The embarrassing failure has exposed sensitive information and raised serious questions about the agency's competence in handling one of the most high-profile cases in recent memory.

A 'Hastily Censored' Failure

According to The Guardian and The New York Times, internet sleuths easily bypassed the Justice Department’s redactions in the recently released cache of files. While some used Photoshop, others simply copied the redacted text and pasted it into a word processing document to reveal the hidden sections. The Times noted the easily uncovered redactions seemed to indicate the files were "hastily censored."

A Scramble for Volunteers

CNN reported on Tuesday that the DOJ was scrambling to find volunteers to help redact the latest files. According to the report, a lawyer in the Southern District of Florida's U.S. Attorney’s Office sent an email to the entire district requesting help with an emergency request from the Deputy Attorney General’s office. “We need [Assistant United States Attorneys] to do remote document review and redactions related to the Epstein files,” the email stated. The request for assistance "over the next few days" indicates more files may be released during the Christmas holiday.

The Guardian found that some of the uncovered text revealed details of civil lawsuits, including how Epstein and his associates sexually abused children, and described payments to young models and actresses. The files were released as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The agency's microsite containing the files hasn't been updated since Dec. 19.