A formal letter was issued by the US Department of Justice to legislators in regard to the redactions that occurred in files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein which was reported by Politico on Saturday (February 14, 2026). The required correspondence gives a general description of the types of information disclosed to be off limits to the population according to federal law. It also has a list of prominent names of individuals whose names are mentioned in the documents in one way or another whether they were directly involved in the activities of Epstein or not.
Epstein Files: US Justice Department Sends Letter To Lawmakers Explaining Redactions, Says Report
The letter provides descriptions of the redactions made, with references to legal requirements regarding privacy, protection of victims, and confidential investigative evidence. Coupled with this, it has a large list of high profile individuals and so called politically exposed persons, who are listed in the files. Notably, the Justice Department made clear that a large number of these names are mentioned incidentally, like in press releases or background documents contained in the records, and not due to some prior connection with Epstein or his longtime co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. The context in which each name is mentioned is not indicated in the document, so there are also unanswered questions as to the nature of those references.
Epstein Files: US Justice Department Sends Letter To Lawmakers Explaining Redactions, Says Report
Addressed to the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, the letter highlights the effort put by the government to strike a balance between transparency and legal provisions. As legislators have still advocated to reveal more, Justice Department asserts that their redaction process was in line with statutory requirements. The communication is a revival of public discussion on accountability and transparency in one of the most captivating criminal cases in the recent history of the US as questions are still being raised regarding who appears in the Epstein files and why.
