DOJ deputy chief: Government will "redact every Republican" from Epstein client list

The Department of Justice's acting deputy chief was caught on a hidden camera saying that the government will "redact every Republican" from an Epstein client list. Why it matters: The O'Keefe Media Group, a far-right media organization, secretly recorded acting deputy Joseph Schnitt's comments and published them on Wednesday, in a move that represents just how large a rift the Epstein case has created between President Trump's administration and his MAGA base. "They'll redact every Republican or conservative person in those files, leave all the liberal, Democratic people," he told the reporter, who was undercover during the encounter, according to the video.In the video, he also called Attorney General Pam Bondi "a yes person," adding that she "wants whatever Trump wants."What they're saying: In a statement addressed to the DOJ's acting director, Schnitt said that he had no idea he was being recorded and that he met the O'Keefe reporter — who he said was pretending to be an au pair — on Hinge.Schnitt said that the comments to the reporter were based on what he had "learned in the media" and not from his work at the DOJ."Had I a clue, the first date would have ended immediately and there never would have been a second one," Schnitt wrote.The intrigue: James O'Keefe, the founder of O'Keefe Media Group, is also behind the far-right Veritas Project, which is known for recording undercover videos of Democrats.Schnitt did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.Driving the news: Schnitt also made comments in the video about the DOJ's relationship with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was recently moved to a lower-security prison following her interview with a Justice Department official.Maxwell's transfer "is against BOP policy because she's a convicted sex offender," Schnitt said in the video. "The DOJ's offering her something to keep her mouth shut."Maxwell's transfer was controversial, and potentially against Bureau of Prisons policy — sex offenders must be in at least a low-level security prison unless they receive a waiver, and she was moved to a minimum-security one. Schnitt said in his letter that he has "no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Ms. Maxwell other than what is reported in the news."The other side: The Justice Department directed Axios to its statement on X, where it denounced the comments made in O'Keefe's video. The "comments in this video have absolutely zero bearing with reality and reflect a total lack of knowledge of the DOJ's review process," the department's public affairs account said. The DOJ told Axios this statement refers to "all comments in the video," but would not confirm whether they were referring to both O'Keefe's and Schnitt's words. Catch up quick: The House Oversight Committee released over 33,000 documents on Tuesday related to Epstein that the Justice Department shared with the panel following months of pressure to make the files public. In the video, O'Keefe questions the Justice Department's level of transparency, pointing out that the DOJ and FBI claim their investigation into Epstein revealed "no incriminating 'client list'" despite top FBI officials' previous assertions to the contrary. "The DOJ is committed to transparency and is in compliance with the House Oversight Committee's request for documents," the department said.

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