The Justice Department and attorneys for Jeffrey Epstein's victims reached an agreement to shield the identities of nearly 100 women after a large document release left many names and photos unredacted. Judge Richard M. Berman canceled a scheduled hearing following "extensive and constructive discussions" between the parties. Lawyers had warned the disclosures were "life threatening" for some victims; the DOJ said errors were due to "technical or human error," removed identified materials, and says it has strengthened redaction protocols.
Judge: Agreement Reached to Shield Identities of Nearly 100 Epstein Victims After Document Release
A document with an email chain from Jeffrey Epstein illustrates the amount of redactions of personally identifiable information that the U.S. Department of Justice was required to do before release of Epstein documents, is photographed Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Lawyers for victims of Jeffrey Epstein and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached an agreement to protect the identities of nearly 100 women after the government released millions of related documents that contained unredacted personal information, a lawyer told a federal judge Tuesday.
Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan canceled a hearing that had been scheduled for Wednesday after Florida attorney Brittany Henderson informed the court that "extensive and constructive discussions" with government lawyers produced an arrangement to address the privacy and safety concerns raised by victims.
Concerns Over Redaction Failures
In a letter filed Sunday, Henderson and attorney Brad Edwards said the Justice Department had left thousands of instances in which names and other personally identifying details of women allegedly sexually abused by Epstein were not properly redacted. The lawyers included statements from eight women; one described the release of files as "life threatening," and another said she received death threats and had to close credit cards and bank accounts after her security was compromised.
"We trust that the deficiencies will be corrected expeditiously and in a manner that protects victims from further harm," Henderson wrote to the court.
Government Response
The Justice Department acknowledged that the redaction mistakes were caused by "technical or human error" during the release process. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in Manhattan said the department has strengthened its protocols, removed nearly all materials identified by victims or their lawyers, and taken down additional items found independently.
Reported errors included files that contained names, email addresses and other identifying data that were either unredacted or not fully obscured, and some nude photographs in which potential victims' faces were visible.
Background
Most of the disclosed records stem from sex trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was convicted in New York in December 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Epstein died by suicide in a federal jail in New York in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment about the terms of the agreement or the specific steps it will take to prevent further disclosures.
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