Online detectives say they have uncovered a way to bypass redactions in recently released Jeffrey Epstein files, raising fresh concerns about how the Department of Justice handled the disclosure of sensitive records tied to the late financier.
According to the New York Post, portions of the documents that federal officials blacked out became visible when copied and pasted into common software programs. “Some portions of the documents, initially blacked out in Adobe Acrobat by the federal agency, pop up when copied and pasted into Google Docs or Microsoft programs like Word,” the Post reported, noting it confirmed the issue during testing. The outlet added that it “cannot confirm the veracity of the redactions.”
The discovery gained traction online after a video demonstration circulated on social media. “Anyone can read redactions of the Epstein Files by just copying and pasting them into a Word doc,” influencer Jake Broe wrote on X. He added, “The people at Trump’s Justice Department are so stupid they used Adobe Acrobat to black out the documents.”
The release of the records follows a bipartisan law signed by President Donald Trump requiring the DOJ to turn over all unclassified materials related to Epstein. Since Friday, the department has released hundreds of thousands of documents connected to the convicted sex offender.
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The document trove includes previously unseen photographs showing Epstein with high-profile figures, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Mick Jagger, and Michael Jackson. Additional images show Bill Clinton alongside Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, including photos taken during international travel and private gatherings.
The Post reported that photos show Clinton “lounging with an unidentified woman in a jacuzzi” and swimming with Maxwell, as well as traveling with Epstein to destinations including the United Kingdom, Brunei and Thailand. Clinton has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
In a statement responding to the release, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña criticized the DOJ’s handling of the files. “What the Department of Justice has released so far, and the manner in which it did so, makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected,” Ureña said. “We do not know whom, what or why. But we do know this: We need no such protection.”
The document release also includes thousands of photographs of Maxwell and images showing Trump, some previously released and others newly disclosed. Despite a congressional deadline to make the full Epstein file public, the DOJ said remaining records will be released on a rolling basis.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
