In 2007, federal prosecutors in Florida drew up an indictment of Jeffrey Epstein — 56 pages, 32 counts: sex trafficking, enticement of minors, conspiracy. The case number was left blank. Alexander Acosta’s name sits unsigned on the signature block. Someone later wrote two words across page one: “OLD Draft.” It was never filed.
That indictment is in the public court file of Phang v. Blanche today, with the names of four co-defendants — described in its first paragraph as people employed to serve as Epstein’s “personal assistants” — still blacked out. The Justice Department told Judge Emmet Sullivan it “has not been able to locate an unredacted version” of its own draft indictment.
What the Associate Attorney General hand-delivered to Sullivan’s chambers Thursday — at 2:28, thirty-two minutes before a deadline the department twice tried to move — are the ten documents DOJ is still fighting to keep marked: eight emails, including exchanges with Epstein about a “torture video” and sexual activity with minors; a 2019 department briefing document; and a records page. Two of the emails were written by a survivor while Epstein was abusing her.
The briefing document is where the department’s redaction logic shows itself. Under its “co-conspirators” heading, only Ghislaine Maxwell’s name is readable — and DOJ told Sullivan that three of the four names it blacked out there “are, in fact, victims.” It unredacted Leslie Groff’s name because she “has not asserted victim status.” Same category of person. One asked. One did not. The same document records what the department knows: 80 victims identified, hundreds more unidentified.
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