A so-called “missing minute” of CCTV footage from the night Jeffrey Epstein died in prison has been released by the US House oversight committee, contradicting Attorney General Pam Bondi’s assertion that the recording was routinely overwritten. The footage was part of a cache of 33,000 pages of records released on Tuesday, including two hours of previously unseen video.
The release comes after conspiracy theories swirled around Epstein’s death in August 2019 at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center. In July, the FBI released hours of surveillance footage from outside Epstein’s cell, but observers noted a one-minute gap from 11.59pm to midnight on 10 August. Bondi claimed the prison’s CCTV system reset every 24 hours, causing the gap, but CBS later reported that a full version existed.
The newly released video shows nothing out of the ordinary: a handful of guards working outside Epstein’s cell. Other unseen footage includes Epstein being escorted by guards to make a phone call. The files also contain body-cam footage from police searches and interviews, though an estimated 97% of the material is already publicly available.
The release has added to political tensions. Republicans and Democrats have demanded more transparency from the Trump administration. Congressman Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, joined Democrat Ro Khanna in filing a discharge petition to force release of all Epstein files. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the effort “meaningless,” prompting Massie to accuse him of being afraid of President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Epstein victims and survivors of sexual abuse gathered in Washington DC on Wednesday for a rally and press conference, some speaking publicly for the first time. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and accomplice, has reportedly met with justice department officials and may be seeking a pardon from the Trump administration.
