Epstein Prison Video Was Allegedly ‘Modified’ Before Being Made Public
New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File
The footage from outside of Jeffrey Epstein’s prison cell around the time of his death in August 2019 was modified before it was released by the Department of Justice earlier this week, according to an analysis by WIRED and independent video forensics experts.
From the bombshell report:
Metadata embedded in the video and analyzed by WIRED and independent video forensics experts shows that rather than being a direct export from the prison’s surveillance system, the footage was modified, likely using the professional editing tool Adobe Premiere Pro. The file appears to have been assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJ’s website, where it was presented as “raw” footage.
Experts caution that it’s unclear what exactly was changed, and that the metadata does not prove deceptive manipulation. The video may have simply been processed for public release using available software, with no modifications beyond stitching together two clips. But the absence of a clear explanation for the processing of the file using professional editing software complicates the Justice Department’s narrative. In a case already clouded by suspicion, the ambiguity surrounding how the file was processed is likely to provide fresh fodder for conspiracy theories.
A Sunday evening Axios report about how the Department of Justice and FBI had concluded that Epstein killed himself, there was no “incriminating ‘client list’” linking others to his criminal sexual enterprise, and that there was no “credible evidence … that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals” kicked off a week full intra-coalitional squabbling — including over the video in question — between President Donald Trump, top officials within his administration, and high-profile supporters of his in the media.
According to both Laura Loomer and Axios, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino took Friday off of work after clashing with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the release of the video, which included a “missing minute” of footage.
