DOJ Sauce for 'Epstein Memo
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
As part of our commitment to transparency, the Department of Justice and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation have conducted an exhaustive review of investigative holdings relating to
Jeffrey Epstein. To ensure that the review was thorough, the FBI conducted digital searches of its
databases, hard drives, and network drives as well as physical searches of squad areas, locked
cabinets, desks, closets, and other areas where responsive material may have been stored. These
searches uncovered a significant amount of material, including more than 300 gigabytes of data
and physical evidence.
The files relating to Epstein include a large volume of images of Epstein, images and videos
of victims who are either minors or appear to be minors, and over ten thousand downloaded videos
and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography. Teams of agents, analysts,
attorneys, and privacy and civil liberties experts combed through the digital and documentary
evidence with the aim of providing as much information as possible to the public while
simultaneously protecting victims. Much of the material is subject to court-ordered sealing. Only
a fraction of this material would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial, as the seal
served only to protect victims and did not expose any additional third-parties to allegations of
illegal wrongdoing. Through this review, we found no basis to revisit the disclosure of those
materials and will not permit the release of child pornography.
This systematic review revealed no incriminating “client list.” There was also no credible
evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not
uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.
Consistent with prior disclosures, this review confirmed that Epstein harmed over one
thousand victims. Each suffered unique trauma. Sensitive information relating to these victims is
intertwined throughout the materials. This includes specific details such as victim names and
likenesses, physical descriptions, places of birth, associates, and employment history.
One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to
victims. Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.
To that end, while we have labored to provide the public with maximum information
regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government’s possession, it is
the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no
further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.
After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed
suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019.
This conclusion is consistent with previous findings, including the August 19, 2019 autopsy
findings of the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the November 2019 position
of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in connection with the
investigation of federal correctional officers responsible for guarding Epstein, and the June 2023
conclusions of DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General.
The conclusion that Epstein died by suicide is further supported by video footage from the
common area of the Special Housing Unit (SHU) where Epstein was housed at the time of his
death. As DOJ’s Inspector General explained in 2023, anyone entering or attempting to enter the
tier where Epstein’s cell was located from the SHU common area would have been captured by
this footage. The FBI’s independent review of this footage confirmed that from the time Epstein
was locked in his cell at around 10:40 pm on August 9, 2019, until around 6:30 am the next
morning, nobody entered any of the tiers in the SHU.
During this review, the FBI enhanced the relevant footage by increasing its contrast,
balancing the color, and improving its sharpness for greater clarity and viewability. The full raw
and enhanced videos are available at the following links:
https://www.justice.gov/video-file1
https://www.justice.gov/video-file2
https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/
PDF:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1407001/dl?inline