Where o where, have the Epstein Files gone?
TAT readers,
It’s time to light a fire under Pam Bondi’s feet. I know that coming off of the holidays and a couple of weeks of more administration insanity, we’ve been distracted, but it’s time to shove the Epstein Files back into the center arena and turn up the spotlights. The administration continues to put as many distractions and obstacles in our way as possible, to our viewing what can only be disastrous content for Trump and the Republican Party. With so many distractions at the moment, I thought I’d try and share a short update about where we are in the file releases and what we can expect in the future. In other words, what we need to know in order to turn up the heat for the party protecting pedophiles, as we head into the midterms.
Trump’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric since he declared war (in our name) on Venezuela and stole their oil resources, ousting Maduro may just be the first of a few, Wag-the-dog” scenarios that we experience during this critical election year. He’s been issuing threats all across the Americas for the past couple of weeks. Cuba, Columbia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela, Canada and of course, Greenland are primary Trump targets in his quest to rule the entire western hemisphere. These little wars serve two purposes, first to acquire power, territory, oil or other resources and two, to distract from the threat of Epstein Files revelations. We must not allow the administration and Republican Party to effectively divert attention away from the Epstein issues. War and conquest will not be the only distractions leading up to the November elections either. This though is a story for another day.
Let’s see where we stand at the moment regarding the files, their release (s) and what we can expect going forward.
First, the basics. The files consist of 5.2 million documents, of which roughly only 2 million have been reviewed and with less than 1% released, despite the December 19, 2025 deadline set by the court. Analyses by independent reviewers estimate a redaction rate between 80-90%. To be blunt, we have basically been denied everything despite the court order to provide everything. A month ago there was so much bi-partisan support for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, that only one Republican voted against it. Today, few utterances about the files even make it onto our front pages.
A carefully orchestrated strategy of reducing Trump’s vulnerability to the contents of the Epstein files is underway and has been for months. Part of that strategy is reduce the visibility of the case. Trickling files out and then tossing up all manner of bizarre legal challenges once they are out, could easily forestall any revelation before the midterms. Maybe Chief Justice John Roberts could conjure up another legal “save” for Trump, like he did with his so-called “immunity ruling” during the 2024 election cycle.
A particularly contemptible aspect of this charade by Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, the president’s inner circle and certainly Trump himself, is that their stalling gets more bizarre and desperate from here on. There will be more high-drama theatrics, the hallmark of any Trump circus, now including the Oval Office where he will do as he always does, throw his cabinet-members under the bus for not making this go away and replace them with more expendable buffoons. All the while, we must keep grinding away at the administration to follow the law and release the information. Then there will be the endless lineup of Trumpian lawsuits, trying every “hail Mary” legal tactic as they try and run out the clock on Trump’s guilt. We must prepare for and refuse to accept any of their roadblocks to truth.
To be blunt about something, the Epstein issue is from my professional perspective, the best way at this point in time, to take the Trump campaign and the cowardly Republican congressmen and voters, down a few notches. The heinousness of pedophilia is even shaking the foundation of some of Trump’s Christian Nationalist voting base. I wonder what took them so long? Were I still in uniform and operating in influence, I would be putting a significant amount of effort into exploiting this gaping hole in Republican defenses. I hope the DNC is reading this right now! The message is clear, “pedophilia is not an American value, but apparently, it’s a Republican one.” I know everyone is busy fighting back, but the Republicans tossed us a softball on this issue, and we must have immediate and generous resources applied to highlighting all things Epstein.
It’s not that I do not understand the high priorities revolving around other serious national security issues, like going to war with Venezuela. All require time and resources, but as Napoleon said, “When your enemy is making a mistake, don’t interrupt him.” This is a potentially catastrophic mistake by the GOP at the moment. It’s the time to pounce. This Republican administration assaults us and the constitution daily with a wide array of sensationalist tactics and strategies, designed to divert our attention. I fully get it that Trump, a master of chaos, is keeping everyone off balance with the seemingly random and outrageous nonsense he creates but… we must not allow him and the Republican Party to change the subject.
The crimes associated with Epstein and his buddies are so heinous that they demand the most urgent and transparent attention from all Americans, not just those opposing this evil regime in Washington, D.C. As the father and grandfather of girls, my heart painfully screams for justice, for those courageous and horribly abused young women. Sadly, there is no nice way to say the following; Republicans are protecting pedophiles.
So now that we know that we have but fraction of the total files and that the administration continues to grossly over-redact the tiny percentage of the files they have released, and that it will take them at least another month to be ready for total release, it provides us plenty of time to loudly and regularly remind them that they are protecting pedophiles. This tends to quiet the MAGA mob for a while, allowing the resistance a little breathing room to go on the offensive regarding the most serious threats emanating from the Trump/ Republican administration.
Current Release Status (2026)
The Department of Justice has missed the original statutory deadline for a full release. As of mid-January 2026, the timeline for the remaining millions of documents is as follows:
Ongoing Rolling Releases: The DOJ has stated it may take a “few more weeks” or potentially longer to finish the review and redaction process.
Special Master Request: On January 8, 2026, lead bill sponsors Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie requested that a Special Master be appointed to oversee the DOJ and ensure the remaining files are produced more rapidly.
Redaction Disputes: Investigators are currently reviewing files to ensure they protect victim identities as required by law, while lawmakers argue that the DOJ is using redactions to illegally protect “politically exposed persons”.
courtesy of Copilot
One fun and very effective way to remind Republicans about Epstein and their complicity, is to say so often when they post on social media. I use social media for personal and professional reasons and often the professional reason is to use it as a laboratory of sorts for trying out different influence tactics and techniques under different circumstances and with different personality traits. This doesn’t apply to friends and family, but to other posts debating our current political landscape. Also for professional reasons I track trends on social media, including tactics used by people using influence towards others and in a dishonest manner. Today’s GOP presence on social media wreaks of desperation and again, if the DNC is listening, strike while the iron is hot!
For example: In the past several weeks, my social media feeds are filled with GOP congressmen making dishonest boastful claims about how great a job they’re doing at governing, and posting a wide variety of PR type fluff posts, such as a dinner with local law enforcement. To be blunt, they are attempting a “charm campaign” to see if they can get people to like them again. Placing a simple question or article link on their post asking why they are protecting pedophiles, gets a lot of attention and for the right reasons. The topic is Kryptonite to the GOP. Campaign digital gurus count things like those little likes or hearts, so always leave a little emoji behind when you go.
My unofficial polling recently shows that even popular GOP congressmen are receiving large doses of those little angry face emojis these days, sometimes double the amount of the likes. There is a palpable stream of anger running through the country and it’s directed at a disastrous administration and a feckless, Republican-led congress. That stream is rapidly growing into a raging river of those willing to stand against tyranny. It’s people like you and I that will make the difference.
There is currently nothing promised regarding a next release of Epstein Files. We are again at the mercy of a truthless, stonewalling administration that ignores the law to acquire even the simplest reporting about the files. In the absence of facts, people tend to build their own narratives and these days, most of these conjured up narratives don’t bode well for Trump nor the Republicans. First of all, watching the White House and the Republican Party pull out all of the stops to inhibit the release of the Files, isn’t very inspiring as to their honesty. Secondly, they are the only ones holding onto the files, which gives them no alibi when the truth comes out, and it will. They will rightly be seen as being complicit in hiding Trump’s dirty laundry from us, the American people.
The young women so horrendously and cruelly trafficked, deserve justice. At the moment, their lives are at risk, simply for daring to seek justice from some of the world’s most powerful but small men. We have an obligation to give them a real chance at justice and protection. Pedophilia should never be partisan, but here we are. Like drug dealers, swindlers, fascists, racists etc., only the president’s felon’s are good felons.
My very best to one and all,
Paul