Raskin: Unredacted Epstein Files Contradict Trump Claims, Reveal “Baffling” Redactions
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) stated on Tuesday that unredacted government files regarding Jeffrey Epstein contain evidence contradicting former President Donald Trump’s long-standing claims about his relationship with the disgraced financier. After reviewing a portion of the documents at a secure Department of Justice facility, the House Judiciary Committee ranking member told Axios that the files raise significant questions about the government’s previous transparency.
According to Raskin, one specific unredacted document—a 2009 email forwarded by Epstein to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell—details a conversation between Epstein’s legal team and Trump’s attorneys. In the exchange, Trump is quoted as affirming that Epstein was a “guest” at his Mar-a-Lago club and was “never asked to leave.” This account directly challenges Trump’s past assertions that he had banned Epstein from the property following a dispute.
“I saw the names of lots of people who were redacted for mysterious or baffling or inscrutable reasons,” Raskin said in an interview following his review. He noted that while the names of prominent figures like Trump and L Brands founder Les Wexner were obscured in the public releases, the unredacted versions clearly identify them. Raskin criticized the Department of Justice for these omissions, arguing that the redactions appeared to shield powerful non-victims while failing to protect the privacy of actual victims in other instances.
The review comes as part of the implementation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress in November 2025. While the DOJ has publicly released approximately 3.5 million pages of documents, lawmakers from both parties have expressed frustration over the heavy redactions. Raskin, along with Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), was among the first group of lawmakers granted access to the raw files.
Raskin described the volume of references to the former president as extensive, claiming that a search for Trump’s name within the database returned “more than a million” hits. While the context of these hits varies, Raskin emphasized that the material paints a different picture than the one presented publicly by the Trump camp.
The Department of Justice has not immediately commented on Raskin’s characterization of the redaction process. Lawmakers are expected to continue their review of the remaining documents throughout the week, with further congressional hearings likely to follow based on these findings.
* hindustantimes.com
* forbes.com
* theguardian.com
* forbes.com
* axios.com
* irishtimes.com
