Ex-FBI leader rips DOJ over 'panicked' call for holiday volunteers to redact Epstein files

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Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and CNN host Pamela Brown on CNN on December 23, 2025 (Image: Screengrab via CNN / YouTube)

President Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a call for volunteers to come into the office over the Christmas and New Years' holidays to help prepare Jeffrey Epstein documents for release. One former deputy director of the FBI is now accusing the administration of being held captive to its own lack of urgency.

During a Tuesday segment on CNN's "The Source," Andrew McCabe – who was deputy director of the FBI under Presidents Barack Obama and Trump – said the DOJ appears to be approaching the Epstein files in a way similar to documents released via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

He noted that in FOIA releases, the government will often take time to black out the names and personal identifying information of anyone who hasn't been charged with a crime. He then reminded viewers that the Epstein Files Transparency Act was strict in only allowing redactions to protect victims and ongoing investigations — not reputations.

"The problemhere is that that that kind ofold way of doing business doesnot seem to be consistent withthe way this law was written,this this tranche of informationwas not put out because of aFOIA request," McCabe said. "It was put outbecause of an act of Congress.And I think it specificallystates that you can't redactnames of people to avoidembarrassment and things likethat. So, yeah, there they are,kind of bringing the old analysis of how to look atreleasing very sensitiveinvestigative files to thepublic, rather than kind ofadapting to what the lawactually requires."

McCabe went on to acknowledge that redacting all documents and evidence pertaining to Epstein's two federal criminal investigations was "a massive amount of work," but also pointed out that the FBI had earlier this year pored through the Epstein files (and flagged all mentions of Trump). Epstein's brother, Mark, said in November that a "pretty good source" confided to him that the FBI had been busy "sanitizing" the Epstein files in anticipation of their release.

"Theyactually pushed hundreds,potentially thousands ofemployees through the sameprocess of reviewing thesematerials and redacting victimsnames, witnesses names, thingslike that," McCabe said. "So it's not clear tome why this this has to be donefrom scratch this time. Butapparently theyare still pretty far behind theball in an enormous amount ofwork. And that's why you seethese somewhat panicked calls going out for volunteers over the holidays."

Watch the segment below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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