yahoo news | Epstein survivors sue government, Google over release of personal info

A group of Jeffrey Epstein survivors has filed a class‑action lawsuit in federal court in California accusing the Trump administration and Google of illegally disclosing their personal information. The suit alleges that the Justice Department’s release of more than three million pages of “Epstein Files” – mandated by the 2023 Epstein Files Transparency Act – included unredacted names, phone numbers, birthdates and photos of nearly 100 victims. Although the department later removed the most sensitive files, the plaintiffs claim Google and other online platforms republished the data and ignored repeated removal requests, exposing them to continued harassment, threats and renewed trauma.

According to the complaint, the Justice Department initially posted the records in late 2025 and early 2026, revealing videos, court documents, FBI files, emails, text messages and news clippings that also mentioned high‑profile figures such as former President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Elon Musk and Bill Gates. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department reviewed roughly six million pages and released about half, withholding material that contained survivors’ identifying details. The survivors argue that the government’s “release‑now, retract‑later” approach prioritized speed over victim safety and made the unlawful disclosure of personal data inevitable.

The plaintiffs are seeking at least $1,000 per class member from the government and an unspecified amount of damages from Google. They contend that, despite the Justice Department’s acknowledgment that unredacted documents remain publicly accessible on sites hosted by Google, the government has taken no action to compel their removal. The lawsuit highlights the ongoing harm caused to Epstein’s victims by the continued availability of their private information online.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/epstein-survivors-sue-government-google-140222287.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

#jeffreyepstein #epsteinsurvivors #google #justicedepartment #epsteinfilestransparencyact

yahoo news | Unanswered questions on Epstein's final hours: A "flash of orange," a Google...

Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Metropolitan Correctional Center cell on the morning of August 10, 2019, after guards discovered him hanging from a strip of orange‑colored cloth. Transcripts released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act show that Officer Michael Thomas entered the cluttered cell at about 6:30 a.m. and found Epstein unresponsive, while Guard Tova Noel called for help and attempted CPR. The medical examiner later ruled the death a suicide by hanging, but the official conclusion has been continually challenged by conspiracy theories that point to Epstein’s high‑profile connections and the inconsistencies revealed in the newly released DOJ documents.

The released files highlight several lingering mysteries. Surveillance video captured a “flash of orange” moving up a staircase in the unit just before 10:40 p.m. on August 9, a detail investigators variously interpreted as an inmate being escorted, a guard carrying linen, or an unidentified figure. Around the same time, a forensic analysis of Noel’s workstation showed she performed a Google search for “latest on Epstein in jail” at 5:42 a.m. on August 10, a search she later claimed she did not remember making. In addition, investigators noted an unusual accumulation of linens and clothing in Epstein’s cell—materials that could be fashioned into a ligature—yet Noel testified she never distributed linen during her shift, raising questions about how the extra bedding arrived.

Multiple officials, including the New York City medical examiner Kristin Roman, former prosecutor Dave Aronberg, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, have reiterated that the evidence supports a suicide, while forensic pathologist Michael Baden has argued that the neck fractures are more consistent with homicidal strangulation. Congressional oversight committees are now pressing former guard Noel to explain the Google search, the $5,000 cash deposit made shortly before Epstein’s death, and her role in the inmate‑count procedures. Despite the gaps and the lingering “orange flash” and linen questions, the prevailing consensus among investigators remains that Epstein killed himself, even as the extensive documentation continues to fuel public speculation.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/unanswered-questions-epsteins-final-hours-090040710.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

#jeffreyepstein #metropolitancorrectionalcenter #tovanoel #epsteinfilestransparencyact #doj

yahoo news | Epstein's final hours: A 'flash of orange,' a Google search and a makeshift...

Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan on the morning of Aug. 10, 2019 after two guards—Michael Thomas and Tova Noel—made their routine breakfast rounds. Thomas entered a cluttered cell and discovered Epstein hanging from a strip of orange cloth tied to a bunk‑bed, while Noel called for help and attempted resuscitation. Transcripts released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act show the guards’ frantic attempts to revive him and their fear of “getting in so much trouble,” as Thomas later told investigators.

The newly released documents have revived a raft of unanswered questions that Congress is now pursuing. Surveillance footage captured an “orange flash” moving up a staircase shortly before 10:40 p.m. on Aug. 9, a detail the Justice Department’s inspector‑general said could be a guard carrying linen or an inmate being escorted, but which remains unexplained. At 5:42 a.m. the next day, Noel’s work computer recorded a Google search for “latest on Epstein in jail,” and investigators are probing a series of cash deposits to her account, including a $5,000 deposit just days before Epstein’s death. The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Noel to testify about these activities and the circumstances surrounding the extra linens found in the cell.

Medical examiners concluded that Epstein died by suicide from hanging, though forensic pathologist Michael Baden and some observers have highlighted unusual neck fractures and questioned the integrity of the noose evidence. The city’s chief medical examiner, Kristin Roman, expressed hesitation before officially labeling the death a suicide, noting the high‑profile nature of the case. Despite the lingering speculations and conspiracy theories, senior Justice Department officials, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, maintain that the accumulated evidence supports the suicide finding, even as the case continues to prompt new investigations and public scrutiny.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-unanswered-questions-final-hours-orange-flash-search-rcna264147

#jeffreyepstein #metropolitancorrectionalcenter #epsteinfilestransparencyact #justicedepartment #houseoversightcommittee

yahoo news | Epstein's accountant and lawyer told House panel government investigators never...

An accountant and a lawyer who worked for Jeffrey Epstein—Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke—testified before the House Oversight Committee that federal investigators never interviewed them about the financier’s activities, despite the Justice Department’s claim that its review of Epstein’s case was “exhaustive.” Their closed‑door depositions, released on Tuesday, show both men asserting they did not witness wrongdoing and have not been questioned by any law‑enforcement agency, although they did receive grand‑jury subpoenas for Epstein’s will and trust documents.

The revelation raises doubts about how thoroughly the Department of Justice and the FBI examined Epstein’s network, especially after the agency released more than three million heavily redacted files while withholding another large batch for reasons such as victim protection and attorney‑client privilege. The bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act forced the DOJ to disclose all its materials, but the committee’s lack of direct interviews with two longtime members of Epstein’s inner circle suggests gaps in the investigation.

Kahn explained that he considered leaving Epstein’s firm after the 2008 non‑prosecution deal but stayed because of the financial crisis and family obligations, while Indyke said he “drank the Kool‑aid” and never expected to be questioned. Both men said they had no contact with law‑enforcement regarding Epstein or co‑conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, and their testimony highlights lingering questions about accountability and the depth of the government’s probe into the disgraced financier’s estate.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/epstein-accountant-kahn-lawyer-indyke-never-interviewed-government-inv-rcna265024

#jeffreyepstein #houseoversightcommittee #justicedepartment #fbi #epsteinfilestransparencyact

yahoo news | What's really in the 37 'missing' pages of the Epstein files that lawmakers are seeking

Members of Congress have demanded that the Justice Department release 37 “missing” pages of FBI files that detail a teenager’s accusations that she was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein and forced to perform oral sex on Donald Trump while living in South Carolina in the 1980s. The pages, which have been reviewed by The Post but not made public, contain the woman’s claim that Epstein began abusing her during a visit to Hilton Head Island when she was 13 and later coerced her into oral sex with Trump. Senators and Representatives, including Sheldon Whitehouse and Robert Garcia, argue that the administration is withholding critical evidence and have called for a subpoena of Attorney General Pam Bondi and a forced testimony from Trump before Congress.

The missing documents consist of three sets of handwritten FBI interview notes—18, 15 and four pages long—taken between July and August 2019, shortly after the woman contacted the bureau following Epstein’s arrest. While the notes largely echo the publicly released 302‑form memos, they add two new details: a brief school trip to Washington, DC, and a road trip to New Jersey. No independent records corroborate the woman’s claims that Epstein spent summers on Hilton Head in the 1980s, attended a Rick James concert with her, or that Trump ever met her. The Justice Department maintains that any withheld pages are duplicates, privileged, or part of an ongoing investigation, and the White House has called the accusations “baseless” and unsupported by evidence.

Lawmakers are using the alleged disappearance of the pages to pressure the Trump administration to produce testimony and to revive scrutiny of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires full public disclosure of all Epstein‑related DOJ documents. The accuser quit cooperating with the FBI after seeking to join a civil suit against Epstein’s estate, and it remains unclear whether she ever received compensation from the victims’ fund. As committee hearings continue, both Democrats and Republicans are pressing for answers about the “missing” files, the validity of the allegations, and whether further legal action against Trump or Epstein’s estate is warranted.

Read more: https://nypost.com/2026/03/24/us-news/whats-really-in-the-37-missing-pages-of-the-epstein-files-that-lawmakers-are-seeking/

#jeffreyepstein #donaldtrump #justicedepartment #fbi #epsteinfilestransparencyact

US Attorney General Pam Bondi formally summoned to Congress in Epstein case

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyky51jwl0o

"As Attorney General, you are directly responsible for overseeing the Department's collection, review, and determinations regarding the release of files pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act.“

#PamBondi #EpsteinFilesTransparencyAct #Congress #Responsible #DOJ #Summoned

Newspaper Confirms Some Details in Trump Accuser’s Epstein-Related Story to FBI

https://murica.website/2026/03/newspaper-confirms-some-details-in-trump-accusers-epstein-related-story-to-fbi/

"NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for imprisoned British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell are fighting the requested release of 90,000 pages related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell, saying a law used to force the public release of millions of documents is unconstitutional."

#EpsteinFiles #EpsteinFilesTransparencyAct #GhislaineMaxwell
https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-b9890fa6fa230fa649c8a847c76d97da