FBI Spent Nearly $1 Million in One Week on Epstein Files as Transparency Stalls
Internal records show the Federal Bureau of Investigation paid roughly $851,000 in overtime in a single week earlier this year as part of a major effort to review and redact records connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The records, first reported by Snopes, indicate the FBI logged 14,278 overtime hours between March 17 and March 22, 2025, involving 934 employees across multiple divisions, including counterintelligence and international operations. The overtime totaled $851,344, averaging roughly $60 per hour.
The work was conducted as part of what internal FBI documents describe as a “Special Redaction Project”, tied to the broader Epstein Transparency Project 2025. Much of the activity took place at a secure FBI facility in Winchester, Virginia, where staff worked around the clock to prepare documents for public release.
The review effort coincided with preparations for compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law in November 2024 by President Donald Trump. The law mandates the declassification and release of Epstein-related records while allowing redactions to protect victims’ identities, confidential sources, national security interests, and ongoing investigations.
According to the records, the project involved multiple layers of review, training on digital document management tools, and the processing of both paper files and electronic evidence, including photos, videos, and surveillance materials. Officials have cited the sheer scale of the materials — including hundreds of thousands of pages and additional digital media — as a major factor contributing to delays.
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The Department of Justice has released several batches of Epstein-related documents in phases throughout 2025, including a December release that featured extensive redactions. Those releases have drawn renewed public scrutiny and criticism online, particularly over the pace of disclosure and the cost of the review process.
On social media, critics have labeled the overtime spending an example of government waste or accused federal agencies of deliberately slowing transparency. Others have defended the redactions as standard procedure in sensitive criminal cases, especially those involving sexual abuse victims. Fact-checkers have found no evidence supporting claims that names, including Trump’s, were selectively or improperly redacted to shield political figures.
The FBI and DOJ have said additional document releases are expected but have warned that processing delays remain likely due to the volume of material and required legal reviews.
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