**Excerpt:** Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna has named six men whose identities were redacted in the Justice Department’s Epstein files, questioning the reasons behind the redactions.
**Key Points:**
– Rep. Ro Khanna revealed six names from redacted Epstein files, accusing the Justice Department of unnecessary censorship.
– The identified individuals include billionaire Leslie Wexner and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, among others.
– Khanna discovered the names during a visit to the Justice Department with Rep. Thomas Massie.
– The Justice Department stated that redactions may have been inadvertent amidst millions of documents.
– Khanna and Massie criticized the Department’s handling of the Epstein files, suggesting more names may be hidden.
Background
On Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna took the floor of the House to disclose the names of six “wealthy, powerful men” that were initially blacked out in the Jeffrey Epstein files. These files, recently partially un-redacted, do not directly implicate the identified individuals in any crimes. However, Khanna criticized the Justice Department for what he described as a lack of transparency.
The Six Individuals Named
Among the six individuals named by Khanna were:
1. **Leslie Wexner** – Billionaire and former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, who had financial ties to Epstein.
2. **Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem** – CEO of Dubai-based logistics company DB World.
3. Additional names included Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, and Nicola Caputo.
Khanna discovered these names while reviewing the unredacted documents at a Justice Department office alongside Republican Rep. Thomas Massie.
Legislative Background
Khanna and Massie co-sponsored a law last year mandating the release of virtually all investigative files related to Epstein, allowing for redactions primarily to protect the identities of survivors. Upon reviewing the documents, Khanna indicated that finding six names in just two hours suggested that many more may be concealed within the extensive files.
Justice Department’s Response
Following the disclosure, the Justice Department partially un-redacted the files after Massie pointed out documents containing the names. A spokesperson for the department stated that the extensive nature of the files might have led to inadvertent redactions. They emphasized that Wexner is mentioned frequently in the files, while the other four names appear less frequently.
Ongoing Criticism
The handling of the Epstein files has drawn scrutiny from congressional Democrats, who argue that the redaction process has not been transparent. Concerns persist regarding the potential over-redaction and the failure to adequately protect survivors’ identities in the released documents.
Leave a Reply