DOJ's Epstein photos don't match claims of 'open investigation': legal expert

Former federal prosecutor and Michigan University Law School Professor Barbara McQuade disputed the Justice Department's rationale for redacting some of the photos and documents it released on Friday from the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.

The DOJ was tasked with releasing all the files from the Epstein probe, but withheld millions of pages, claiming it would post only some of the documents on the legally mandated deadline. Republican lawmakers who fought for the release are furious.

Many of the documents and photos the DOJ posted had full pages of redactions. The DOJ claimed that it was because there are renewed investigations that are resurfacing.

McQuade said that it makes little sense.

"I'm really struck by what appears to be either incompetence or duplicity or maybe both," McQuade began. "Todd Blanche said, 'We had 200 lawyers look at this.' Well, this was a hard deadline. December 19th. Maybe you needed 300. This was a law. This was not a discretionary task."

She noted that it made the partial roll-out illegal.

However, it was the duplicity that she said was more concerning.

"Remember,there is this exception thatwas given to Pam Bondi. In some ways, it's understandable, but because she has characterized herself, or conducted herself, as Trump's personal lawyer, it gives me great suspicion," McQuade continued about the announcement from the attorney general. "Andthat is an exception thatallows her to withhold fromproduction any document thatpertains to an ongoinginvestigation."

Bondi announced an investigation into "Democrats" and their links to Epstein. However, McQuade said that what was released doesn't make sense if that is her reasoning for redactions.

"Why is it, then, that we see all of these photos of Bill Clinton? Isn't he supposed to be the subject of an investigation?" McQuade asked. "He is the person whose photos should have been withheld, not Donald Trump's or anyone else's."

At one point, there were photos released, but then clawed back. The DOJ said that the reasoning was that they received complaints from victims who asked that the pages be removed because they contained identifying information about them.

"But the odd one is the one that you mentioned, which is this photo of Bill Clinton," McQuade continued. Joe Scarborough stepped in to correct her, saying that she meant the photo of Trump and a victim, not the Clinton photo.

"What Todd Blanch said is that it was removed to protect victims," McQuade continued. "Trump is depicted with victims andsurvivors. And then it was putback up with saying, no, no, itturns out they weren't victimsand survivors after all. Sothat's the part where, again,incompetence or duplicity? Notsure which. Maybe both."

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