Epstein Files: A short video claiming to show Jeffrey Epstein inside his prison cell during the final hours of his life surfaced briefly on Monday afternoon. The clip, which was just 12 seconds long, appeared to come from a Justice.gov web address and was released alongside other files by the US Department of Justice, PEOPLE reported.
The video was time-stamped August 10, 2019, at 4:29 a.m. It appeared to show Epstein inside his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York, only hours before he was found dead. But the video turned out to be fake and was deleted minutes after its release.
DOJ briefly releases alleged Epstein suicide attempt video
According to a PEOPLE report, about two hours after the time shown on the video, at around 6:30 am, a prison guard found Epstein dead in his cell. The convicted child sex offender had hanged himself using bedsheets.
While the video appeared to show a man attempting to hang himself, it did not match how Epstein was actually found, according to an official Bureau of Prisons report released in June 2023 after a long internal investigation. That report stated that no camera was recording video inside Epstein’s cell on the night he died.
Infact, the Bureau of Prisons said there was no camera anywhere in the facility that had a clear view of Epstein inside his cell that night. The report explained that recorded video footage from August 9 and 10 was available from only one security camera in the special housing unit where Epstein was held. That was because other cameras malfunctioned. Even that one working camera did not capture the inside of Epstein’s cell.
According to the report, in the video, the lights inside the cell appear to be on. That is normally done when an inmate is on suicide watch. However, Epstein was not on suicide watch on the night he died. According to the Bureau of Prisons report, Epstein was taken off suicide watch on July 24, 2019.
DOJ restores Trump photo after Backlash
The controversy is not limited to the fake video but also involves the Department of Justice restoring a photo from the Epstein files on Sunday after facing backlash over its removal. The image included President Donald Trump and had been taken down shortly after it was published on the DOJ’s website on Friday.
The photo showed items on and around Epstein’s desk or credenza. One image showed Trump with a group of women. Another showed Trump with his wife, Melania, Epstein, and Epstein’s now-convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The DOJ said the Southern District of New York had flagged the image for further review to ensure no Epstein victims were shown. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice temporarily removed the image for further review,” the DOJ said in a post on X. “After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction.”
Trump says Epstein file releases could harm innocent people
US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the release of documents linked to late financier Jeffrey Epstein could unfairly damage the reputations of people who had innocent interactions with him years ago.
Trump made these comments on Monday while speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. This was his first public reaction since the US Department of Justice began releasing the Epstein files, according to the Guardian. “I don’t like the pictures of people being shown,” Trump said. He added that many photos now being circulated show people who simply crossed paths with Epstein long ago. “They’re highly respected bankers, lawyers, and others who innocently met Jeffrey Epstein,” he said.
Trump said he felt bad for former Democratic President Bill Clinton after photos of Clinton appeared in the first batch of released material. “I like Bill Clinton,” Trump said. “I’ve always gotten along with Bill Clinton. I hate to see photos come out of him.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, confirmed that Trump’s name does appear in the Epstein files. She said the President had been on Epstein’s plane and that his name appears on flight manifests. However, she stressed that there was nothing inappropriate linked to Trump. “He’s in the files, but not doing anything awful,” she said.