Epstein Victims Lawyer Scolds DOJ for Not Redacting Names of His Clients

When the House Oversight Committee released a trove of files and emails from the Epstein estate earlier this month, alleged victims of the convicted sex offender responded with “widespread panic” after discovering the documents included dozens of unredacted victim names, prominent attorneys for Epstein victims told a federal judge this week, Peter Charalambous and James Hill reported for ABC News.

One document alone contained 28 unredacted victim names, the attorneys wrote. (Photo: Geoff Livingston Flickr)

“I thought the government had promised to redact our names and identifying material. I don’t understand how this is happening again,” one alleged victim told attorneys Bradley Edwards and Brittany Henderson of the Edwards Henderson law firm, according to a recent court filing.

“This type of negligence by the government to a survivor is just unable to comprehend. It is just impossible,” another alleged victim said, according to the filing.

“I don’t understand how this is possible.”

A third victim said, “I have been unable to mentally and emotionally function or sleep.

”With the Justice Department facing a Dec. 19 deadline to release hundreds of thousands of Epstein files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Edwards Henderson attorneys are urging a federal judge to order the DOJ to strengthen its review policy to prevent another release of potentially sensitive information about alleged victims.

“These women are not political pawns. They are mothers, wives, and daughters. These are women who were abused by Jeffrey Epstein, and in some instances by others, and who have already had their rights violated in the past by the Government,” the attorneys wrote to U.S. District Judge Richard Berman.

“They are human beings who have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to feel safe and protected by our country, which has failed them time and time again.”

According to the filing, the House Oversight release included unredacted names and personal information of dozens of victims, including women who were minors at the time of their abuse.