Epstein files widen as US Justice Department briefs Congress, France opens probe
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- The US Justice Department formally notifies Congress about redactions in the Epstein files and lists prominent names mentioned.
- French prosecutors form a special judicial team to examine the documents for possible crimes involving French nationals.
The US Department of Justice has sent a legally required letter to members of Congress outlining redactions made to files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as scrutiny of the documents intensifies on both sides of the Atlantic.
According to Politico, the letter provides a general description of the types of redactions applied and includes a list of prominent individuals whose names appear in the files in some form.
Names listed without context
The correspondence also contains a broad list of public figures or politically exposed persons referenced in the documents, even if they had no direct or recent connection to Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Some names appear only through secondary sources such as newspaper clippings.
Read more: More than 12 Trump officials are named in the Epstein files
The letter, sent to the chairs of the judiciary committees in both the House and Senate, does not explain the context in which any name appears or suggest wrongdoing.
France launches judicial review
In France, the Paris public prosecutor announced Saturday the creation of a special team of judges to analyze the Epstein files.
The prosecutor’s office told Agence France-Presse that the team will work closely with national financial crime prosecutors and police to assess whether any potential offenses involving French citizens warrant new investigations.
As part of the move, French authorities will reopen files related to Jean-Luc Brunel, a former modeling agent and close associate of Epstein who died in prison in 2022 while awaiting trial on charges of raping minors.
The goal, prosecutors said, is to extract any evidence that could be used effectively in a new judicial inquiry.
Epstein was found dead in a US jail in 2019 ahead of his federal trial on sex trafficking charges. American authorities ruled his death a suicide.
