A disturbing and fake video, purporting to show the suicide of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was accidentally published by the US Department of Justice this week, fuelling further controversy over the handling of the sprawling case.
Fake Footage and a Swift Removal
The grainy, 12-second clip appeared in a public file dump on Monday before officials hastily deleted it. The video seemed to show a man in orange prison gear on the floor of a cell at 4.29am on August 10, 2019—two hours before Epstein was discovered dead in his Manhattan jail cell.
It quickly emerged that the footage was not authentic. The video was a computer-generated simulation originally circulated on the fringe internet forum 4chan. Investigators had included it in the Epstein files after it was flagged by a conspiracy theorist based in Florida.
Mounting Political Pressure for Full Disclosure
This incident has intensified the fierce political battle surrounding the release of documents related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The Monday file drop followed the release of up to 600,000 pages last Friday, mandated by a Congressional law passed in November.
However, the process has been mired in accusations of obstruction and secrecy. Former President Donald Trump, who spent his initial months back in the White House trying to keep the files sealed, now faces backlash for the DoJ's actions. Meanwhile, thousands more pages have been withheld entirely, with a promise to release them "at a later date."
Republican figures, led by former MAGA ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, have demanded every single file be made public. Greene expressed fury on Friday over extensive redactions that protected the names of "politically exposed individuals."
High-Profile Reactions and Allegations
Former President Bill Clinton, who features in multiple images within the released files, issued a forceful statement through his spokesman. He demanded Trump's Department of Justice release all remaining materials referencing him, accusing officials of "selective releases to imply wrongdoing."
Clinton stated, "someone or something is being protected. We need no such protection," alleging the DoJ's actions confirm suspicions of "insinuation" over transparency.
This sentiment is echoed by victims. A group of 19 alleged victims of Epstein and Maxwell has accused the government of violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act by withholding massive quantities of documents and failing to properly redact survivor identities. They argue the approach suggests an intent to keep "survivors and the public in the dark."
Analysts note that many of the records released so far—including photographs, call logs, and court documents—were already public or heavily blacked out, offering few new revelations. Crucially awaited documents, such as FBI victim interviews, were absent.
