Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said this week that Americans would be “shocked” by some of the names she has seen in unredacted files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, accusing the Department of Justice of shielding powerful individuals from public scrutiny.
Mace made the remarks during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Wednesday, where she discussed the DOJ’s latest release of more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related documents. As a member of Congress with access to certain materials, Mace said she reviewed unredacted files and was stunned by what she found.
“You would be shocked, Piers, at some of the names that I have seen that came across the DOJ in emails that the DOJ is protecting,” Mace said. “And we’re talking about people on both sides of the aisle. We’re talking about famous people, rich people, people in power, prime ministers, former prime ministers, former presidents, etcetera, media personalities that are named in these files.”
Mace described the redaction of names in the publicly released documents as “one of the greatest cover-ups in American history,” arguing that the American people deserve full transparency, regardless of party affiliation or social status.
“You’d be surprised, shocked even at some of the names in the files,” she reiterated.
The South Carolina lawmaker is not alone in raising concerns about the redactions. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., held a press conference Monday after reviewing unredacted materials himself. He told reporters that there are “at least six men that have been redacted that are likely incriminated by their inclusion in these files.”
Massie took to social media to demand that those names be made public. His efforts appeared to have an immediate impact. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche subsequently unredacted the name of former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner in one of the documents.
The controversy over redactions has also drawn attention from across the aisle. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., went to the House floor Tuesday and read aloud the names of six men he believes are implicated in the files and were previously redacted by the DOJ.
“Now, my question is, why did it take Thomas Massie and me going to the Justice Department to get these six men’s identities to become public?” Khanna asked. “And if we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those 3 million files.”
The bipartisan frustration highlights growing pressure on the Justice Department to explain its redaction decisions and to clarify why certain names were withheld from public view in the initial document releases.
For Mace, the issue goes beyond politics. She framed her criticism as a matter of accountability and transparency, insisting that no one — regardless of wealth, influence, or political standing — should be shielded if their names appear in connection with serious allegations.
With millions of pages now released and lawmakers continuing to review the material, questions about who knew what — and who may have been protected — are likely to intensify in the days ahead.
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