Over 500 pages in Epstein files were entirely blacked out, CBS News finds

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: December 20, 2025 / 10:21 AM EST


The Justice Department released thousands of new records on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, but at least 550 pages in the documents are fully redacted, CBS News has found.

The newly released files included photos of several prominent people in Epstein's orbit, images from his homes and investigative records that detail disturbing allegations against the late sex offender. But the heavy redactions in many of the records have drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, as the department defends its handling of the files.

One series of three consecutive documents — totaling 255 pages — is entirely redacted, with each page covered by a black box. A fourth 119-page document labeled "Grand Jury-NY" is also entirely redacted. It's unclear what proceedings it stemmed from, but the document listed immediately before it is a transcript in which a prosecutor asks a grand jury in 2020 to consider evidence for a superseding indictment of Epstein's convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.

At least 180 blacked-out pages appear in files that are mostly but not entirely redacted. In some cases, a cover page, a photo of a folder or something else that isn't fully redacted precedes several pages that are entirely obscured by a black box. In other cases, the redactions were more sparing. For example, a 96-page police report on a Florida investigation into Epstein in the mid-2000s redacts the names of victims and other details, but leaves many other details in.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-files-redaction-over-500-pages-entirely-blacked-out/

[Aussie105]

1. A major headache for the redaction team.

I'd love to hear from one of them what the guidelines were for using up so much printer toner.

The excuse of 'protecting the victims' doesn't wash with me.

The amount of redaction speaks volumes in itself.
Corruption all over the place!

[BOSSHOG]

3. I'm not sure if the victims want to be protected

If the alternative is to burn the perverted garbage responsible.

Republicans do not protect victims they protect themselves. Republicans are bottom feeding low life scum. But they do have Republican scruples. Rape and felonies are okay but gotta black out the sexual abuse of children. It will offend those who go to church and love trump for no rational reason they can come up with.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. It's been all done electronically for a long time now in the federal government for eFOIA

(there is software that will do it plus modules available to do redactions in the popular word processor programs and probably for Adobe Acrobat too). I don't think they even print anything out anymore either - will just send/upload pdfs (or maybe some image file).

[Buddyzbuddy]

2. Am I wrong to think the Democrats could have released

these files when they had control. As much as I try to verbally defend our Federal Law Enforcement, this is a real blemish. When we get power back, there is a real genuine house cleaning that needs to occur. The Republican lawmakers are actively protecting lawlessness while past Democrats didn't do their jobs. We need accountability wherever the chips may land.

[blm]

4. No, they could not. It was an active investigation then.

[Buddyzbuddy]

9. Thank you.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. "Am I wrong to think the Democrats could have released these files when they had control."

Remember that when we "got control", there was -

1.) A pandemic that eventually killed 1 million Americans
2.) An economic collapse due to that pandemic and shady economic practices triggered by 45
3.) A literal insurrection that happened just before Biden's inauguration that needed to be investigated

So Epstein would be at the bottom of the list at that point, especially since he had died in jail (however that really happened) and that was still under review.

[Buddyzbuddy]

8. Thank you BumRush.

[Anxy]

6. The law demanding photo release was a failure

Because it should have included independent supervision of the release. You can’t leave it up to Trump‘s DOJ to release the photos it wants. .