US Congressman Ro Khanna names six men redacted from Epstein files
Ro Khanna has named six men whose identities were redacted from newly released Epstein files, alleging improper removals. The Justice Department says the redactions were errors, not a cover-up, and none of the men has been charged.
- Ro Khanna named six men whose identities were redacted from newly released Epstein files.
- The Department of Justice said the removals were errors, not a cover-up.
- Inclusion in the files does not imply wrongdoing, and none of the men has been charged.
US Congressman Ro Khanna has publicly named six men whose identities were redacted from files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Dr Khanna said the redactions were inappropriate and described them as “a little bit of a farce”.
The disclosures followed his review of unredacted documents at Department of Justice headquarters a day earlier, alongside Congressman Thomas Massie.
Both lawmakers had pushed for the release of additional Epstein-related documents after a new tranche was published in late January.
Background to the document release
The latest files were released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress in November.
The law stipulates that identifying details of victims and information relating to ongoing investigations must be redacted.
However, it prohibits withholding information to avoid “embarrassment, reputational harm or political sensitivity”.
Dr Khanna and Dr Massie alleged that the Justice Department exceeded those limits by removing names without sufficient legal grounds.
According to Dr Khanna, department officials acknowledged that at least six names had been redacted in error and have since been restored.
The six men named
In his address, Dr Khanna identified six “wealthy, powerful men” whose names he said had been hidden without justification:
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Leslie Wexner
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Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
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Salvatore Nuara
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Zurab Mikeladze
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Leonic Leonov
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Nicola Caputo
Dr Khanna did not allege criminal wrongdoing by any of the six men.
He noted, however, that Mr Wexner had appeared in an internal FBI document as a potential co-conspirator, a detail not previously public.
None of the six men has been criminally charged in relation to Epstein.
Leslie Wexner
Mr Wexner, 88, is a billionaire retail tycoon whose empire has included Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch and Bath & Body Works.
He is widely credited with helping Epstein amass significant wealth during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Mr Wexner has said he severed ties with Epstein in 2007 after allegations of abuse surfaced.
In 2019, he accused Epstein of misappropriating US$46 million (US$64.8 million) of his personal fortune.
While his association with Epstein was previously known, the FBI’s internal listing of him as a potential co-conspirator had not been publicly disclosed before Dr Khanna’s remarks.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
Mr bin Sulayem, 71, is chief executive of DP World, a global cargo logistics firm.
According to emails cited by lawmakers, he wrote in 2015 that he had met a university student in Dubai with whom he had “the best sex”.
Dr Massie said the Justice Department confirmed that Mr bin Sulayem’s name had been redacted in certain documents.
One email sent by Epstein to Mr bin Sulayem referred to a “torture video”, though the contents of that video are unknown.
The inclusion of these emails does not in itself establish criminal conduct.
Limited information on other names
Little publicly verifiable information has emerged regarding Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze or Leonic Leonov.
Dr Khanna did not specify where their names appeared in the documents.
Nicola Caputo shares a name with an Italian politician, but there is no confirmed evidence that the individual named in the files is the same person.
Justice Department response
Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche rejected suggestions of a cover-up.
In a social media statement, he said the department was “committed to transparency” and “hiding nothing”.
He noted that some documents containing Mr Wexner’s name also included numerous victim names, which required redaction.
Mr Blanche suggested that certain redactions may have resulted from documents previously processed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He also argued that personally identifiable information, such as email addresses, must be removed under the law.
Dr Massie countered that the statute requires redaction of victims’ identities, not those of Epstein’s associates.
Dr Khanna told the House that survivors’ statements naming “rich and powerful men” had been obscured.
“That means the survivors’ statements to the FBI… they’re all hidden,” he said.
