The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has released a letter to Congress revealing hundreds of names mentioned in documents related to investigations into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The letter, sent to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees on February 14, 2026, includes high-profile figures labeled as “government officials and politically exposed persons.”
According to the DOJ, the names appeared in a variety of contexts—some directly communicated with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, while others were simply referenced in the files. The letter does not clarify the specific context in which each individual was mentioned.
Who Is Named?
Among the names listed are some of the world’s most recognized leaders and influencers:
- U.S. President Donald Trump
- Vice President JD Vance
- Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden
- Former Vice President Kamala Harris
- Former President Bill Clinton
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- Tech figures Bill Gates and Elon Musk
The disclosure has reignited scrutiny over how the Trump administration handled the investigation, with critics arguing that transparency remains insufficient
JUST IN: DOJ sends Hill a letter purporting to fulfill requirement in Epstein Files Transparency Act for an explanation of all redactions from released files. The six-page letter is a lot less detailed than 1 would get in run-of-the-mill #FOIA case. Doc: https://t.co/5PT7HWgJ0N
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) February 15, 2026
Calls for Full Transparency
Representative Ro Khanna has criticized the DOJ’s handling of the release, highlighting the lack of clarity about who was involved in wrongdoing versus merely mentioned in the documents.
In a post on X, Khanna said:
“To have Janis Joplin, who died when Epstein was 17, in the same list as Larry Nassar, who went to prison for the sexual abuse of hundreds of young women and child pornography, with no clarification of how either was mentioned in the files is absurd.”
He further urged:
“Release the full files. Stop protecting predators. Redact only the survivor’s names.”
The DOJ’s six-page letter also explained its justifications for redactions, citing privacy and legal considerations, but the criticism underscores the ongoing debate over full transparency in high-profile criminal investigations.
The DOJ is once again purposefully muddying the waters on who was a predator and who was mentioned in an email.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) February 15, 2026
To have Janis Joplin, who died when Epstein was 17, in the same list as Larry Nassar, who went to prison for the sexual abuse of hundreds of young women and child… https://t.co/kM0toLsitd