New revelations from inside the FBI reveal that Donald Trump’s name was redacted “numerous times” from Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, according to a report published Friday in Bloomberg’s FOIA Files newsletter.
The redactions came as FBI Director Kash Patel ordered an internal review of more than 100,000 Epstein-related files. Patel reportedly directed agents to work alongside the bureau’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) division to determine what could legally be released to the public.
During that process, agents came across multiple references to Trump, as well as “dozens of other high-profile figures,” according to investigative journalist Jason Leopold. However, FBI FOIA officers determined that Trump’s name and others were to be blacked out under existing FOIA exemptions.
The rationale? Trump was a private citizen at the time the federal Epstein investigation launched in 2006. That legal status gave the FBI a basis for redacting personal names from public records unless a clear public interest could be shown.
The internal review wasn’t without controversy. FOIA division chief Michael Seidel reportedly resisted the redaction push, which ultimately led to friction with Patel. Seidel later retired after allegedly facing termination threats.
Importantly, Leopold emphasized that the presence of names in the Epstein files does not imply any wrongdoing or criminal conduct.
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