Hopefully, someone might one day forensically restore the damage being done to the evidence.

But even if true, I'm confident it will not work.

There are plenty of people who have seen the files. Who knows how many people were working on the investigation under the Biden DOJ which Trump/Bondi stopped immediately upon taking office but I'm sure there were a lot of people working on it. The Biden DOJ was deciding who to charge and with what crimes. I'm sure there will be whistleblowers revealing the truth if necessary. Oh, and the bill itself details the only information that can be legitimately withheld or redacted. The only info that can be legally redacted is names and personal info of the victims. The names of any persons who had contact with Epstein that are mentioned in the files should be released. Embarrassment is not a valid reason for redaction.

(1) The Attorney general may withhold or redact the segregable portions of records that—

(A) contain personally identifiable information of victims or victims’ personal and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

(B) depict or contain child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) as defined under 18 U.S.C. 2256 and prohibited under 18 U.S.C. 2252–2252A;

(C) would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary;

(D) depict or contain images of death, physical abuse, or injury of any person; or

(E) contain information specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and are in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order.

(2) All redactions must be accompanied by a written justification published in the Federal Register and submitted to Congress.

(3) To the extent that any covered information would otherwise be redacted or withheld as classified information under this section, the Attorney General shall declassify that classified information to the maximum extent possible.

(A) If the Attorney General makes a determination that covered information may not be declassified and made available in a manner that protects the national security of the United States, including methods or sources related to national security, the Attorney General shall release an unclassified summary for each of the redacted or withheld classified information.

Someone, or several someones, started doing what they could to retain copies of those files knowing who was coming into office in two and a half months' time and what was going to happen to those files. Remember the vast feeling of despondence that settled over rational Americans in those days following the election? Certainly that same realization stirred someone into action.

sorry but you can't convince me that after these rethugs shut down the government to avoid the files being released.... that suddenly we're just supposed to believe they want them released, with only 1 rethug voting against it.

they needed the time to scrub, edit, and alter a massive pile of documents, and the shutdown afforded them that time. we're not going to get anything out of this file release.

By having all Democrats in the files, the Republicans will proclaim victory. When the Democrats call the files openly fake, which they will be, Trump will say the Democrats are only trying to protect their own, and, will say, “Why are you trying to protect pedophiles!?” With a smirk on his face.

Then, both sides argue about which files are real, and; it becomes another Left vs. Right bickering match. The public loses interest, and, the whole thing goes away.

We’re in the dumbest timeline possible.

but I suspect it will. Trump was too eager to suddenly approve of the files' release. They know that the extensive right wing noise machine will be more than happy to help obfuscate.

ugh.

It makes as much sense as the rest of his palaver.

They’re flooding the zone. They don’t care if you remember what they said in the past, and, how it makes no sense now. They just need the general American public to have forgotten, so that they can call you crazy and a liar for pointing out that Trump completely contradicted himself.

If you study this administration’s talking points for consistency, they play out like a soap opera plot, consistency-wise. They constantly invent new things and “retcon” what they said in the past. It’s all a game to them.

their victims lives with litigation (most people do not have the resources to fight the wealthy) or with actual death threats to them and/or their family.

Our justice system is not designed or intended to protect innocent victims. The reality is that we have two different justice systems in America, and this is not just under the present administration. There is one set of rules for the wealthy and famous and another for the regular working class in America.

It sucks but it is reality.

That was what was stripped bare in the OJ Simpson case and most of America refused to see it because all they can focus on is race.

He might put some republicans back in, lol

The scrubbing was completed.

It would have been brutal for him to demand Congress block it only to have them ignore him. His best chance is flee or pull his same old trick: just lie. The base is extremely loyal and would no doubt back him in it all being a Democrat conspiracy.

But the GOP has more to worry about than Trump’s base.

I suspect that they'll get a federal judge to block the release.

There are enough people familiar with the file who, I suspect, will speak up if the file is incomplete. The victims for one thing. But I think other investigators as well. And then that will become the story.