Mark Epstein, the younger brother of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has accused officials in Donald Trump’s administration of secretly altering government files about the case to remove the names of Republican figures, just as Congress has moved to force the release of those records.
In a phone interview with US cable channel NewsNation, Mark Epstein said he had been told that the so-called “Epstein files” were being edited before publication under new transparency legislation. “I’ve been recently told, the reason they’re going to be releasing the files and the reason for the flip is that they’re sabotaging these files,” he said, alleging that officials were “scrubbing the files to take Republican names out.” He added that the information came from what he described as “a pretty good source.”
His claims surfaced as the Epstein Files Transparency Act sped through Congress. The House of Representatives voted 427–1 to require the Department of Justice to release all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The bill allows redactions to protect victims’ identities and certain sensitive information but bars officials from withholding material purely to avoid “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
Within hours of the House vote, the Senate approved the measure by unanimous consent, sending it to President Trump’s desk. The legislation gives the Justice Department 30 days from enactment to make the files public in a searchable format. The rapid progress reflects intense public and political pressure that has built over years for full disclosure about Epstein’s dealings, associates and the circumstances of his death in federal custody.