The Department of Justice reportedly moved quickly on Thursday to discredit remarks made by one of its own officials after a hidden-camera video surfaced in which he speculated about Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the handling of politically sensitive files.
Joseph Schnitt, deputy chief of staff at the DOJ’s Office of Enforcement Operations, was secretly recorded discussing Epstein and Maxwell during what he described as dates arranged on a popular app. In the video, published by James O’Keefe, Schnitt suggested that “they’ll redact every Republican or conservative person in those files, leave all the liberal, Democratic people in those files.” He also posited that Maxwell had been moved to a lower security prison as part of a deal and claimed the government was “offering Maxwell something to keep her mouth shut.”
The comments fueled new questions about the DOJ’s credibility in its handling of Epstein-related materials, a matter conservatives have long viewed with suspicion. Many on the right have argued that political bias infects federal law enforcement — particularly when high-profile names are involved.
The Justice Department responded forcefully, issuing a statement that dismissed Schnitt’s words as baseless. “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 said. It further stressed that “the DOJ is committed to transparency and is in compliance with the House Oversight Committee’s request for documents.”
Schnitt himself sought to explain the situation in a statement to his superior, Jeffrey Pollak, which the department later posted online. He said he had met a woman named Skylar through the dating app Hinge and went on two dates in August before realizing the encounter was a sting. “She claimed to be an au pair in Georgetown. She gave no clues that she was a reporter or recording our date,” Schnitt wrote. “Had I a clue, the first date would have immediately ended and there would never have been a second one.”
The deputy chief of staff emphasized that his recorded remarks reflected “what I had learned in the media and not from anything I’ve done at or via work.” He added: “I have no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Ms. Maxwell other than what is reported in the news. I also never divulged anything about what I do at work. I recall that she asked if I had any knowledge about Maxwell and I specifically said I only know what’s been reported in the media.”
Maxwell, who has long been at the center of speculation over Epstein’s criminal network, reportedly sat in late July for interviews with a top DOJ official. She has also indicated interest in pursuing a pardon, according to the video.
O’Keefe, the founder of O’Keefe Media Group and formerly head of Project Veritas, has built a reputation on hidden-camera recordings that frequently reveal candid — and often unflattering — comments from government and corporate insiders. His latest release has again tapped into a growing conservative concern: that the DOJ, when faced with politically explosive evidence, will act not with impartiality but with partisanship.
For many Americans who remain skeptical of the government’s handling of the Epstein scandal, Schnitt’s candid words — whether speculation or not — will do little to restore confidence.
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