Trump’s FBI Spent Nearly $1 Million on Redacting Epstein Files: Report

Washington D.C. – President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law on November 19, mandating the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to publicly release a vast trove of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The legislation, which passed the House 427-1 and the Senate unanimously, promises unprecedented insight into Epstein’s crimes, his network of associates, and the federal investigations that followed.

Yet, as the 30-day deadline for disclosure looms—set to expire just before Christmas—growing concerns about extensive redactions, ongoing probes, and selective withholding suggest that key elements of the files may remain shielded from public view.

The Act requires the DOJ to make available, in a searchable and downloadable format, all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession, including those held by the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ offices. This encompasses flight logs, manifests, itineraries, pilot records, customs documentation, and more from Epstein’s aircraft, vessels, and vehicles.

For materials withheld or redacted, the DOJ must provide justifications within 15 days of release. However, exceptions abound: content depicting child sexual abuse, identifying victims, or jeopardizing active investigations can be suppressed. Notably, the law prohibits withholding solely to spare embarrassment to public figures—a provision aimed at ensuring accountability.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaking at a November 19 press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, affirmed the administration’s commitment.

“We have released over 33,000 Epstein documents to the Hill and will continue to follow the law and to have maximum transparency.” Trump echoed this on Truth Social, framing the release as a tool to expose “the truth about certain Democrats and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein.”

Yet, internal maneuvers and escalating costs have fueled skepticism, with critics accusing the administration of orchestrating a “Special Redaction Project” to sanitize the records.

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The Costly “Epstein Transparency Project”

Behind the scenes, the FBI mobilized for what internal emails dub the “Epstein Transparency Project”—euphemistically, per some agents, the “Special Redaction Project.”

Patel dispatched nearly 1,000 special agents from New York and Washington field offices to the FBI’s Central Records Complex in Winchester, Virginia, for crash-course training in document review and redaction.

The effort’s scale is staggering. From January to July, agents logged 4,737 overtime hours, with over 70% in March amid night shifts and weekends. A single week—March 17-22—cost $851,344 in overtime alone, pushing the total near $1 million, according to Bloomberg.

Personnel from counterintelligence and international operations sifted through evidence tied to Epstein’s 2019 death probe, search warrant photos, street surveillance videos, and aerial footage.

These records, obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests by Bloomberg’s Jason Leopold, reveal a bureaucratic frenzy: PowerPoints on redaction standards, “stand-by” alerts for digitizing boxes, and mid-stream directive changes from the DOJ. Over 161 pages of FBI correspondence were withheld, including a May 2 email with an “Epstein Overview FINAL” attachment.

At the heart of the controversy: Directives from Patel and Bondi to flag every mention of Trump in the approximately 100,000 unreleased pages. Earlier reviews identified “numerous references” to Trump and other elites, which FOIA officers redacted under privacy exemptions for non-public figures at the time—standard practice, per experts, but politically charged here.

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Bondi reportedly briefed Trump in May on his name’s appearances, after which the DOJ deemed no criminal links existed. Recent congressional releases—over 20,000 pages from Epstein’s estate—mention Trump over 1,500 times, mostly in innocuous news clippings or political contexts, though some emails hint at his interactions with victims (without alleging misconduct).

The digital archive is equally voluminous: 40 computers and devices, 26 storage drives, 70+ CDs, and six recording devices holding over 300 GB. Physical items include photos, travel logs, employee lists, $17,000 in cash, massage tables, blueprints of Epstein’s Little St. James island and Manhattan townhouse, oddities like female bust sculptures, women’s cowboy boots, a stuffed dog, visitor logbooks, and a cryptic “document with names”—potentially the elusive client list.

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Patel, in a November 25 interview with Catherine Herridge, defended the FBI’s diligence: “We’re working with DOJ to see if we can produce anything more,” citing court seals and protective orders. He noted Epstein’s estate’s refusal to share records and hinted at possible new charges. Bondi has vowed no child abuse material or pornography will surface.

Critics, including Massie, decry “troubling deflection,” while Democrats allege a White House cover-up. Public sentiment on social media platforms reflects widespread frustration, with users questioning the redactions and demanding full transparency. Even a red-carpet heckler confronted Patel at the F1 Grand Prix: “Release the Epstein files!” Epstein’s brother, Mark, cited sources claiming Virginia redactions.