Jason Leopold
Investigative Reporter, Bloomberg News. "FOIA terrorist." Subscribe to my newsletter, FOIA Files and my FOIA podcast, Disclosure.
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- NEW: The House Oversight Committee just formally issued a subpoena to Darren Indyke (who filed the #FOIA request) Epstein's personal atty & co-executor of his estate as well as subpoenas to billionaire Les Wexner and Epstein's accountant Richard Kahn, the other co-executor of his Epstein's estate.
- NEW FOIA Files newsletter is out! Jeffrey Epstein Filed a #FOIA Request in 2014 The request to CBP sought docs on "how, why, or when Epstein was selected to be a subject of monitoring, surveillance, observation, questioning, interrogation, investigation" www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- “Oversight Democrats fought hard to get these subpoenas and forced the vote on Republicans. Now, the Committee will hear directly from the individuals most closely involved in Epstein’s inner circle. We will not stop until we get answers,” said Ranking Member @robertgarcia.house.gov
- NEW FOIA Files newsletter is out! Jeffrey Epstein Filed a #FOIA Request in 2014 The request to CBP sought docs on "how, why, or when Epstein was selected to be a subject of monitoring, surveillance, observation, questioning, interrogation, investigation" www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- Check out this week's newsletter and the documents Bloomberg News! And please support FOIA Files by signing up for a free subscription (if you haven't already). 🙏 www.bloomberg.com/account/news...
- Happy #FOIAing Trump's first-term presidential records day to those who celebrate!
- NEW FOIA Files newsletter is out! Get ready to #FOIA Trump's first-term presidential records! Jan. 20, 2026 is a big day for government document junkies. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- NEW FOIA Files newsletter is out! Get ready to #FOIA Trump's first-term presidential records! Jan. 20, 2026 is a big day for government document junkies. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- NEW FOIA Files newsletter is out! This week, I invited my @bloomberg.com colleague @agordon.me to break down data I obtained related to DOGE & govt hiring that took me nearly a year to pry loose. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
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View full threadIn addition, the data provides previously unreported details about government hiring practices during the first few months of Donald Trump’s second presidency.
- Please subscribe to my FREE newsletter, FOIA Files, now in its 2nd year, for previously unreleased government documents, insight on what's happening behind the scenes and how your taxpayer dollars on being spent www.bloomberg.com/account/news...
- My March 2025 #FOIA request was aimed at shedding light on exactly who these people were, what they were paid and their assigned agencies In addition, the data provides previously unreported details about government hiring practices during the first few months of Donald Trump’s second presidency.
- Some of the now familiar DOGE names are included in the dataset, such as Jordan Wick, Edward Coristine, Christopher Stanley and Luke Farritor.
- The IRS hired 1,313 employees in January 2025. Over the next two months the agency laid off 11,000 workers, or about 11% of its workforce. Additionally, the data identifies employees tied to DOGE.
- Throwback to one of my epic document(s) scores related to Jan. 6 www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jaso...
- 2025 FOIA Files Recap: It's been a devastating year for the #FOIA. Agencies gutted or eviscerated their FOIA offices & fired staff. But thanks to the incredibly hard work of FOIA officers across the govt I managed to pry loose some important docs. Here are the highlights. Thank you FOIA officers! 🧵
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View full threadAnd finally... Inside the FBI’s Review and Redaction of Epstein Files The communications released to FOIA Files provide a look behind the scenes as agents and other FBI personnel started to work on the Epstein files earlier this year www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- I have a ton more FOIA docs on deck for 2026. Please subscribe to my FREE newsletter, FOIA Files, so you don't miss it! Thank you for your support and Happy New Year! 📄🔎 www.bloomberg.com/foiafiles
- Anti-Drug Unit Officially Shut Down by DOJ The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces responsibilities, including 5,000 existing case, have been transferred to a new set of task forces under the Department of Homeland Security www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- ‘This is Not a Drill.’ How the Peace Corps Prepared for a DOGE Visit The agency spent two months running through training exercises leading up to DOGE’s arrival in April www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- Documents Reveal a Deluge of Threats Directed at FEMA A pair of deadly hurricanes last year in Florida and North Carolina sparked an influx of online conspiracies, threats against federal emergency management workers and doxxing of govt officials, FOIA docs show www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- How An Intel Agency Handled ‘Damage’ Review in Trump’s Classified Records Case Emails reveal ODNI tried to avoid conducting a full blown damage assessment of the hundreds of classified documents retained by then-former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- Trump Ordered a Mountain Name Change. It Could Be an Uphill Battle. Documents obtained by FOIA Files reveal that the tedious work required to fully implement President Donald Trump’s executive order could surpass his time in office www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- What the USDA Spent on the Huge Trump and Lincoln Banners Documents obtained by FOIA Files show the banners were printed by Timsco Graphics, a Maryland company. The purchase order says they were procured by the USDA ‘in conjunction with the Secretary's priority.’ www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- How the Air Force Designated Its Next Fighter Jet ‘F-47’ The Air Force may have been caught off guard or was just unprepared when President Donald Trump said the next generation fighter jet would be called F-47, documents obtained by FOIA Files suggest www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- My personal favorite: DOJ Finally Reveals Sale Price for Seized Wu-Tang Clan Album When the Justice Department sold Once Upon a Time in Shaolin it concealed the sale price citing “trade secrets.” Now, after a four year FOIA battle, DOJ finally disclosed the price www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- Here Are the Job Titles and Salary Ranges of Some DOGE Staffers A list released to FOIA Files by OPM gives color on the individuals executing DOGE priorities. Among other things it reveals their salary ranges, job titles and official govt www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- Document Shows How FBI Handled Background Checks for Trump Appointees An MOU reveals the procedures for conducting background investigations for “high-level national security positions.” www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- How the SEC Responded to Trump’s Inspectors General Purge Newly released emails obtained by FOIA Files reveal the number of inspectors general fired by Trump and how the securities regulator’s watchdog prepared for the possibility she would be next www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- Trump’s Special Envoy Richard Grenell Was Once Subject of Leak Probe Grenell was investigated by the State Dept’s IG in 2020 over the unauthorized disclosure of a “sensitive but unclassified” cable. Exactly the type of leak the Trump admin has cracked down on www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- What Happened When the Trump Administration Ordered a CDC Blackout Documents obtained by FOIA Files reveal the chaotic turn of events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after the Trump admin ordered the agency to stop communicating with the public www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- Trump Filed a FOIA Request. We FOIAed His FOIA. When the then-former president was under investigation for unlawfully retaining classified docs, he filed a FOIA request with NARA about his case. It wasn’t the first time Trump wielded the public records tool www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- The Story Behind FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s Role in Project 2025 Emails reveal how Brendan Carr, the FCC’s Republican chairman and close confidante of Trump, was cleared by ethics officials to write a chapter in the 922-page manifesto when he was a commissioner. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- Another reminder that FBI tasked 934 agents and other personnel to review & redact Epstein files between March & May & prepare the docs for public release. FBI paid $851K in OT/premium pay for a week's worth of work. Via my #FOIA www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
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View full threadHere are additional details about that review. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
- It appears that the most recent release of Epstein files were derived from the unsealing of grand jury records in Epstein and Maxwell's cases ordered by three judges over the past month.
- DOJ/FBI concluded in July that the disclosure of those files would not be "appropriate or warranted." Many of the files that were reviewed earlier this year relate to DOJ/FBI's 2006-2008 investigation of Epstein. The bulk of those records haven't been released yet.
- NEW episode of my podcast Disclosure is out! One Xmas, my co-host @mvtopic.bsky.social requested the first 25 pages of docs located from a search of the FBI's investigative files referencing “Santa Claus.” The FBI responded by saying they never heard of the guy podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
- This is the FINAL episode of Disclosure of the season. If you've missed any of the episodes find them all here. Please leave a comment, rate us and spread the word! See you in 2026! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
- 🚨 Epstein Files: In his letter to Congress, Todd Blanche says docs were withheld under the deliberative process, atty-client privilege & atty work product. In #FOIA that's the equivalent of a B5 exemption. 🧵
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View full threadBlanche also said 200 DOJ attorneys reviewed the files and redacted the documents after the Act was signed into law. But as I reported, based on docs I obtained via #FOIA, the FBI directed 934 agents & other personnel to review & redact the files earlier this year.
- Using the FOIA as a guide, it means expect vast swaths of docs to continue to be redacted & withheld, which is pretty much the bulk of docs about the govt's investigation everyone wants to see
- Blanche says although the Epstein Files Transparency Act "broadly categorizes items required to be produced, the Act does not include language expressly requiring the Department to produce privileged materials"
- Epstein Files countdown: What should the files reveal? For one, details about this previously undisclosed money laundering investigation conducted by the US Atty in Fla in 2007 & 2008. My @bloomberg.com colleagues & I uncovered details of this unknown probe in Oct www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
- Epstein files: Ahead of Friday's deadline to release the files it's notable that FBI already reviewed/redacted the files this year, as I previously reported. Big question is whether the files were reprocessed over the past month & certain redactions, protecting names aside from victims, were lifted
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View full threadThe legislation also says all redactions to the Epstein files "must be accompanied by a written justification published in the Federal Register and submitted to Congress"
- But since the legislation calls for the release of records identifying Individuala names **in connection** with Epstein’s criminal activities, et al, then many third party names, like those we have seen in emails, may be left out. Still, DOJ could interpret it differently.
- The Epstein Files Transparency Act specifically instructs DOJ to release records identifying third parties, "including government officials, named or referenced **in connection** with Epstein’s criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or investigatory proceedings"
- It also states that "No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary."
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- Thank you! It has aged well!
