HERE’S MORE OF WHAT THE NEW FBI EPSTEIN FILES THAT I SNAGGED REVEAL
by Anne P. Mitchell, Esq. – attorney, law professor emeritus, and author of Federal law
As I mentioned a few days ago, I managed to snag and store all of the eight files that were released by the FBI in response to Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold’s FOIA request.
The first thing that I found and sent out to Notes from the Front members was the explicit instructions for redacting names, along with the discovery that there was a file full of “names to be redacted”, and that basically the redaction was done by uploading that file and then doing a ‘search and replace’ for those names in whatever document the agent was redacting.
Here’s more I’ve discovered in one of the files (included for Notes from the Front members), which includes a massive email chain between many, many FBI personnel who were initially working on the files. (I’m still not done with the files, I’m sharing it as I find it and have time to write it up.)
Here are terms you need to know:
“IMD” means the FBI’s Information Management Division
“Sentinel” is the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s automated case management and digital records system
“1A” is an evidence category, it does *not* mean ‘first amendment’ in this context. It refers to the case’s primary evidence such as items received, seized, or retained as evidence, including digital media and documents
“1B” is a secondary evidence category, often used for bulk or separately managed evidence or evidentiary media
Ok, here’s what I discovered in this particular file:
– The FBI and the DOJ *did* in fact use the same process for redacting and handling the documents. Or, at least, they trained jointly.
At one point in an email someone says “Given the (many) moving parts and underpinning information equities, recommend an incorporation by reference approach. That is, keep the cover memo simple to provide an overview and implement the GC’s direction [redacted]. In addition to the comparison chart – which spells out the detail and risk we need DOJ to understand.”
“Incorporation by reference” is a legal construct by which you say in a primary document essentially “I’m talking about something in this *other* document, and so by reference that *other* document is incorporated into this main document.”
“GC’s” almost certainly refers to the General Counsel (attorney) working on the project.
– The FBI personnel did a nearly super-human effort trying to get the documents ready by a deadline for the managers, working day and night to meet a very short deadline. (This in fact may have contributed to *why* there were so many redaction errors.)
Evidencing the pressure they are under to produce, Mike Seidel, who is with IMD, says to Joseph Germano (also with IMD), “Joe, especially in the wake of the Epstein gauntlet, we need a little grace from the IMD FO. RIDS is always on top of things and will get the job done, but we simply can’t produce things instantly.”
Another observes “No CSAM will be produced, and our NY partners are integrated into the 1B review process to flag and remove any qualifying CSAM.”
Then they add:
“That said, there is a lot of “child erotica” and other porn that will be produced.”
Ugh.
AND!:
“Based on total items of extracted/reconstituted digital items, current estimated processing time for all video, audio, and photograph redaction is 1,561,351 labor hours. (Note: If all videos also contain audio, estimate processing time could double. Video frames are redacted separately than audio). Also, as of 3/21/2025, only 14% of 1B media had processed for reconstitution due to file size and processing speed. Therefore, we expect this number to increase.”
*1,561,351 labor hours* at a minimum to process all of the video and audio!! That suggests a *massive* amount of audio and video media!
AND WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THOSE VIDEO AND AUDIO FILES!
No, we don’t want to see them, we don’t want to hear them, but we sure as heck want to know what’s in them them!
There’s quite a bit more in this nearly-70-page file, I’m sure that some of you will find some other things – please be sure to report what you in our *private* chat here: https://substack.com/chat/5524460/post/57ef085f-7bff-4408-b425-13d2ad92a2d0
Notes from the Front members: This FBI file, which I call FBI file #3, is in your inbox now.
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P.S. If you actually read all the way to the bottom please leave a sentence in a comment that includes the word “strawberry”. It will show me that my efforts aren’t in vain and that people actually *do* read these things, and it will drive those who just skim crazy wondering just why everyone is talking about strawberries! ;~)
(The above was provided by me, Anne P. Mitchell, Esq.- attorney and law professor emeritus – all me, no AI, the buck stops here.)
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