A secretly recorded video has stirred controversy after showing a Justice Department staffer suggesting that Republican names would be scrubbed from the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The DOJ later confirmed the video’s authenticity but stressed the staffer was only sharing personal opinions, not information tied to his work. The department posted a statement from Schnitt and a separate clarification rejecting his claims.
According to the clip, the Biden administration has been sending Epstein documents to Congress while claiming transparency. Yet the staffer said only Democratic names would remain visible.
“If they’re released, they’ll be very redacted,” said Joseph Schnitt, acting deputy chief of the DOJ’s Office of Enforcement Operations. “Every Republican or conservative person will be taken out, while liberal Democratic names will stay.”
Schnitt believed he was speaking privately to someone he met on a dating app. In reality, he was being recorded by an undercover operative working with conservative activist James O’Keefe.
The video adds fuel to conservative frustration with the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein case. Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed she had Epstein’s “client list” on her desk. Months later, she walked that back and announced no new information would be released.
After the video surfaced Thursday, Schnitt released a statement through the DOJ. He said his comments came from what he read in the media, not from anything he learned at work.
“The comments I made were my own personal views based on media reports,” Schnitt wrote.
The department was more direct in its response. “The statements in this video have no connection to reality and show no knowledge of the DOJ’s review process,” the agency said.
O’Keefe’s videos often feature lower-level staffers making bold claims about their organizations. Schnitt’s remarks lined up with speculation already circulating in the press, but the DOJ denied any factual basis.
Trump’s name reportedly appears multiple times in the Epstein files. The department has had hundreds of employees reviewing the documents, in part to flag those mentions.
As anger grew over the lack of public disclosure, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena. The DOJ has delivered some materials, and the committee started making portions public this week.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who is pushing legislation to force a full release, said the DOJ is providing “curated” files filled with unnecessary blackouts.
The Oversight Committee did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday. A DOJ spokesperson said the department remains committed to transparency and is following the committee’s requests.
In his own commentary on the video, O’Keefe argued that Schnitt’s remarks suggest he likely leans Democrat. Still, O’Keefe questioned why the administration, after promising in 2024 to release the Epstein files, is now pulling back.
“Why is this administration suddenly at odds with itself?” O’Keefe said. “What did the DOJ and FBI uncover that makes them now insist an incriminating client list doesn’t exist?” he told HuffPost.
