U.S. lawmakers reviewing unredacted Epstein files

U.S. lawmakers review unredacted Epstein files, raising concerns over redacted names of potential enablers and political figures.

U.S. lawmakers began reviewing the unredacted files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein Monday (February 9, 2026), and expressed concern that some names have been removed from the records which have been released to the public.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), passed overwhelmingly by Congress in November, compelled the Justice Department to release all of the documents in its possession related to Epstein.

It required the redaction of the names or personal identifying information about Epstein's victims, who numbered more than 1,000 according to the FBI.

But it said no records could be "withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary."

Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, was among the Democratic and Republican lawmakers who examined the unredacted Epstein files at a secure Justice Department location on Monday (February 9, 2026).

"I saw the names of lots of people who were redacted for mysterious or baffling or inscrutable reasons," Mr. Raskin told reporters.