We already knew there was video included in the Epstein material. If you’re like me you assume much of the video stuff should never see the light of day to protect victims. The names of those who committed sexual crimes against kids (and teenage girls are kids, at least to me) and what they did is what matters. However tapes, training videos/tapes to teach the massive FBI task force on what should or not be redacted in the Epstein files is another matter. Why? That training fell way short. Some actual victims were outed, publicly identified. Yet plenty of people including Trump who evidence suggested (or proved) committed sexual crimes against children either had their names redacted or the DOJ refused to released that particular file. Hell, yes tapes showing how they were trained matter!
We also know then AG Pam Bondi went into major CYA mode after admitting files were ‘on her desk’ – taken to mean a last step before the Trump promise of releasing it all was to take place. We ALSO know suddenly a thousand (? – maybe more) FBI agents were suddenly pulled to go through and do redactions. Including and especially massive mentions of Trump. Now we know the FBI actually produced training videos to teach agents to protect Trump with redactions… er, properly do the job of redacting the files prior to release. DOJ doesn’t want to hand over those videos even though a judge ruled they should do so.
Confused? Well, whether by accident (as Watergate’s Deep Throat said of the Nixon WH ‘these aren’t very bright guys’) or intentionally the whole process became a world class “Charlie Fox.” (If you don’t get the reference ask someone who’s served in the military) In the end DOJ only released about half of the files, and too often with heavy redactions. As this article from the International Business Times explains redacting documents, including those that involve sexual crimes is trickier than one might think. If someone, even an FBI agent doesn’t have experience with it more than a piece of paper with a few simple, obvious rules is needed to ensure the process is properly done. So, it makes sense that DOJ/the FBI would, when pulling in so many agents want to train them on what should or should not get blacked out.
The problem as you know is that people who’s names or other identifying information SHOULD have been redacted, VICTIMS got outed. Yet countless individuals and not just men who committed or knew of awful criminal exploitation of minors either had their names redacted or DOJ held back those documents by only releasing about half the files they had. It’s not tinfoil hat stuff to think, or talk about whether a decision was made to bend over backwards to do for the criminals or their enablers what SHOULD have been done for every victim. Oh, and by enablers I mean those who helped funnel girls to be abused, who either witnessed it or saw video of it later, or had good reason to believe what they’d heard about this or that case or the situation in general. Don’t think for one second Ghislaine Maxwell was the only recruiter.
THAT is why the training FBI agents got matters. We know, we know a coordinated effort was made to protect Trump as much as possible. However an awful lot of powerful people have been protected as well and I for one don’t think that’s by accident. The public and more importantly the victims of all these crimes have a right to know just what those tasked with the redactions were trained to do. Or not do. The linked article makes an effort at balance although I think given their target readers (so many of whom for which it’s their main publication to read) are named in those files. Still, it lays out some facts:
Journalist Allison Gill says newly described FBI training materials show agents were taught to flag certain Epstein-related records for supervisory review, with sources telling her that documents mentioning Donald Trump were among those identified.
An FBI declaration filed by the Department of Justice on 2 October confirms that the bureau identified nine responsive training videos, including two demonstrating how personnel should flag documents for further review by a supervisor.
The declaration itself does not identify Trump as part of those instructions. That portion of the account rests on Gill’s confidential sources. The FBI is withholding all nine videos in full while a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by Gill’s MSW Media continues in federal court.
According to the MSW lawsuit nine training videos produced to teach agents reviewing and redacting Epstein related records how to go about their work. They cover different aspects of the review process. Again, given that so many agents who’d never been involved in such a major task would require training makes sense. Breaking down the review process into focused areas such redaction procedures, handling sensitive information and what should be escalated for further review doesn’t strike me as sinister. IF behind it all one or two specific goals as in protecting a certain President or some of his cronies wasn’t the goal all along. Call me crazy but I for one am pretty sure that’s exactly what the end goal was. Protect Trump. Protect his pals. Even protect lots of other rich and powerful people because they make big campaign donations. Here’s where I think it gets real:
Two of the videos are officially described as screen recordings showing Information Management Division personnel how to flag a document for further review by a supervisor using FBI SharePoint.
The FBI declaration does not say that Trump’s name was specifically included in those instructions. Gill, however, says sources familiar with the review told her that documents containing Trump’s name were among those subject to the flagging process.
I call bullshit on that second part. Trump’s name is in those files tens of thousands of times. OF COURSE they’d want to eliminate as many mentions of Trump as they could, and to water down the rest to make things seem like it was no big deal. Just some happenstance mention of an admitted sexual assaulter and even adjudicated rapist! Yes, the legal filing doesn’t go so far as to allege the videos were specific ‘protect Trump’ in nature but it’s hard not to think that goal was ‘suggested’ to the agents who had to sit through them. Why do I say that? The DOJ didn’t provide them and they won’t be handed over unless the judge orders it:
The FBI has withheld all nine videos in full, citing several FOIA exemptions, including provisions covering internal government communications, personal privacy, and law-enforcement techniques and procedures.
If the videos are straightforward and provide a standard that should be applied to all documents and individuals in them then why withhold them? What’s the big deal? We don’t know but it’s not crazy to think maybe, just maybe while Trump’s name isn’t specifically mentioned watching one or more of those training videos makes it clear that anything that cast Trump in a bad light would at least get shoved well away from the spotlight. And perhaps sealed up where they’d never be found.
Bondi, and now Blanche have refused to release over three million documents. I’m sure they are afraid to destroy them because Epstein’s estate itself has provided materials. AND the search of his New Mexico complex was incomplete. The feds shut down their investigation there but it’s my understanding the state has opened its own and who knows what they might find hidden away there?
In the end I think Bondi screwed herself right off the bat when she publicly said she seen the materials (obviously a memo with just some of it attached as exhibits) and realized right after she should have kept her mouth shut. Right then and there a frantic plan was hatched to try and, as much as possible cover up Trump related things in those files. However there were literally millions and millions of records!
No wonder DOJ wanted to create a process that could sort out things that ‘required review’ to buy time to figure out if it could somehow be buried! Let the journalists, and the public too see just what the agents saw and heard in those training videos. Let US decide whether there was an agenda to protect Trump (in particular) and others. It’s clear protecting the actual victims of sexual crimes up to and including rape, teenage (or no doubt in some cases even younger) girls wasn’t the top priority!
Friends, I know everyone begs you for money. I promise, among all those asking for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a group of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. The rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the chance to keep telling the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
