The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has released an additional minute of security footage from the night of Jeffrey Epstein’s death, contradicting prior claims by Attorney General Pam Bondi that a minute was deleted every night at midnight. The previously released footage had a one-minute gap, leading to speculation about a potential cover-up. Now, the newly released video shows guards moving near Epstein’s cell just before midnight, but it lacks critical metadata that could verify its authenticity. This contradicts Bondi’s earlier assertions about the daily deletion of one minute of footage. The footage’s lower quality and different on-screen text format have also raised questions about its origin and whether it has been altered.
The release of the footage, which was originally missing a one-minute segment, has reignited debates over the circumstances of Epstein’s death, which was officially ruled a suicide. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have consistently maintained that Epstein did not maintain an incriminating client list for his alleged pedophile ring. However, the newly released clip has not provided any new evidence to support this claim, and instead has introduced more questions about the integrity of the surveillance. The absence of metadata in the newly released video has also sparked concern over whether it has been altered or if it was ever the original unedited footage from the day.
Attorney General Bondi had previously stated that the camera systems at the prison reset every night, leading to the deletion of one minute of footage at midnight. However, the newly released video contradicts this claim, showing a continuous recording without any apparent gaps, at least in parts of the footage. This has led to further speculation that the original footage might have been altered or that the government has withheld information. The release comes amid growing pressure on the Trump administration and has drawn criticism from various lawmakers and commentators, many of whom argue that the government has failed to provide transparency and accountability in handling the Epstein case.
President Trump, who had promised to release the Epstein files during his 2024 reelection campaign, has responded to recent criticisms by dismissing the push for more transparency. He has argued that only ‘stupid people’ believe that Epstein had a list of clients that should be made public. Critics, however, argue that the lack of a complete and unaltered video feed has fueled public distrust and raised more questions about the government’s handling of the case. The release of the new footage is part of a broader effort by the House Oversight Committee to provide more information to the public and to press for accountability from the DOJ and FBI, which have been under intense scrutiny for their role in the Epstein case.
The newly released footage is also notable for its technical differences from the original, with a lower resolution, reduced framerate, and a different on-screen text format. These discrepancies have led experts to question the legitimacy of the footage and whether it has been tampered with or altered in any way. The controversy over the footage highlights the ongoing tensions and public scrutiny surrounding the Epstein case, as well as the broader implications for government transparency and accountability. The release of this footage is expected to fuel further discussions and investigations into the circumstances of Epstein’s death and the handling of the case by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.