There are many seriously good hackers working on showing what's underneath the redactions. And they are going to succeed in this. Do you think the "outing" of the people behind the redactions will change the equation at all?
Cynthia...I get the excitement about this. You best believe I do. Who wouldn't want to know what was redacted?!
With that said, I spoke with someone who previously...and relatively recently worked in one of the intelligence agencies, and I asked if this was possible. I didn't get the answer that I think most defenders of democracy would have hoped for.
Most modern redactions are “burned in.” If the publisher flattened the PDF (or exported an image), the black bars aren’t just a layer sitting on top of text...they’re literally part of the pixels. When that happens...there’s just as literally nothing underneath to reveal. Nothing.
Regarding your question of whether the redactions (if somehow revealed) would change the equation at all, here are my thoughts on that.
It might change the noise. It might create reputational fallout. But...the core equation only changes when one (or more) of these happens:
Here’s something I learned a long time ago, working with people who were living at the far edge of anxiety:
The truth doesn’t break you.
Confusion does.
When someone learns how to process reality...how to think it through...sort it...and put it in the right frame...even an ugly truth becomes stabilizing. Because now it’s known. It’s mapped. It’s handled.
Facts...organized and used properly...calm the nervous system in a way self-soothing lies never can.
I’m convinced that what is being uncovered by Ellie Leonard’s (and others including Aaron Parnas) crowdsourced deep multifaceted investigation has the best chance of revealing threads no one can see yet.
When (not if) she and her sleuths are successful, I can envision a Woodward and Bernstein - like Pulitzer Prize in the future. Wouldn’t that be delightful!
As a teacher, it's the difference between the kid who makes a detailed crib sheet & conceals it expertly in order to cheat on a test and the kid who blatantly looks at another student's answers. Both aim to cheat, but you find yourself thinking sadly about the second kid, "Couldn't you even be bothered enough to try to hide it?! I mean, look at Joey over there--at least he *worked at* defrauding the system."
We are, most of us, eager to retain some respect for someone, somehow. When our context is nice and circumscribed, it's much easier to do than when you zoom out to look at larger patterns.
That’s a great analogy...because it gets at something uncomfortable but very human:
Effort still signals respect for the system...even when the intent is bad. The first kid understands the rules well enough to try to work around them. The second isn’t even engaging with the premise.
And...you’re right...we want to retain some respect.
We look for signs of care...competence...or constraint...because they let us keep believing the system still has edges.
Zoom out, though...and that illusion gets harder to maintain. Patterns don’t flatter anyone. They just tell the truth.
So...yes...you're welcome. Thank you for that great analogy!
John Dolan, I hear the hope in that...and...I’d add one thing that makes it even more hopeful.
It’s rarely “us” all at once. It’s usually enough people...in enough places...doing the unglamorous follow-through: documenting...insisting on process...refusing shortcuts...not letting the mess get renamed as “normal.”
That’s how cleanup actually happens. Not in a rush...but steadily enough that it can’t be ignored.
Reminding myself...every now and then...that it doesn't take ALL of us...but just ENOUGH of us...has a real stabilizing element to it...and makes it much easier to keep going. Especially when you encounter someone who clearly...shows no desire to be part of the solution.
I think everything will come to light eventually, but only through the diligent work of Ellie Leonard, Zev Shalev, Lev & Aaron Parnas, Dean Blundell, Kait Justice, Julie K. Brown, Vicky Ward, Tara Palmieri and the super sleuths working diligently to uncover the Epstein files. Thankfully the FBI appears to have been sloppy in the redactions, not a surprise. I have confidence these folks will not rest until heads roll. I may be misreading the room, but I really don’t think so. Thank you for showing the structural failures because that gives us what we need to succeed. You’re a real gem, Jack! #HOLDFAST
Elizabeth, I really appreciate the generosity of that...and the spirit behind it.
I'll add this: the people you named are effective...not because they’re chasing “exposure at any cost,” but because they work within verifiable lanes...documents...timelines...on-the-record reporting...survivor-centered investigation.
That’s why their work lasts...and why it can’t be waved away.
Sometimes redactions are sloppy. And, often they’re very...deliberately. Either way...what ultimately changes outcomes isn’t clever workarounds...it’s lawful pressure...corroborated facts...and persistence that institutions can’t out-wait.
You’re not misreading the room about the hunger for accountability. Where I try to be careful is separating confidence in people...from confidence in outcomes. The former is earned. The latter takes time...structure...and, as you suggest... RELENTLESS follow-through.
Thank YOU, Elizabeth...for seeing why structural failures matter. Once you can name the failure modes...you’re no longer stuck reacting. That’s where real leverage begins.
Persistence is valuable. Questions should continue. Perhaps rivals of those exposed within the networks and timelines will seek absolution. Buy stock in popcorn and tabloids
I’ll never be satisfied until the victims get justice. Meaning the rapists and their enablers are in jail. Resigning from a prestigious position doesn’t cut it. That isn’t justice for the
victims …just a minor glitch in their very entitled lives.
Joni, that anger makes sense...and you’re right about the distinction.
Consequences that inconvenience status...yeah, that's not justice. They’re reputation management. Justice...as you’re naming it...is about accountability that actually matches the HARM:
Facts established...responsibility assigned...and REAL penalties imposed on those who committed crimes...AND those who enabled them.
Resignations may acknowledge pressure...but they don’t restore dignity to victims or deter the next abuse. That gap...between symbolic fallout and actual justice...is exactly why so many people REFUSE to feel satisfied.
Bummer. The redactions prove co-conspiracy to protect the elite. Too bad they are “burned in.” The need for justice must go on — with the foot on the gas. Names, dates, and men taken to court. This oligarchy must not win.
I hear the urgency, Jane B, and I share the refusal to let this slide into symbolism.
One small point that matters for keeping expectations accurate: redactions don’t prove conspiracy by themselves. What they clearly show is institutional self-protection...a decision to limit exposure...rather than illuminate the whole picture.
You’re spot ON about the rest...justice isn’t momentum alone. Its names tied to evidence...dates tied to records...cases that survive courtrooms.
That’s what actually changes outcomes. Keep the pressure on...and keep it precise. That’s how entrenched power...gets BEATEN.
I'm glad you've brought your FIRE to here to share freely!
is right to push back on the idea that “other countries are doing better.” What’s happening abroad doesn’t look like a real reckoning so much as damage control. Resignations, ethics reviews, and narrow financial investigations create the appearance of action without touching the larger system that allowed Epstein’s network to operate for years. When institutions are faced with their own failure, they don’t go looking for the full truth — they limit the scope so the consequences stay manageable.
The harder truth is that this isn’t about any one country lacking courage. It’s about shared incentives. A serious investigation would force governments to confront how power, money, and influence shape law enforcement and financial oversight across borders. That kind of inquiry would implicate banks, regulators, prosecutors, and political elites all at once. So instead, accountability gets individualized and compartmentalized. What remains is not justice unfolding slowly, but accountability carefully contained — enough to calm the public, not enough to expose the structure that failed.
It feels that everything is being couched in news reports as something terrible but that it stopped with Epstein, trump and Maxwell. It didn't. The child rapists didn't have a Come To Jesus Moment, they simply found others to fulfill their depraved appetites.
Well….ugh! I had hopes. I guess Miss Pollyanna was hoping for some sort of accountability. I am hoping Rep. Maddie starts naming names. He stated today if Bondi, et alia didn’t start actually doing what they should do and follow the law, he would stand in Congress and name names. Maybe that is shaming, but is better than idling. We know some of the business connections, create more and start connecting the dots. I think Lithuania is planning to investigate connections to Russia over these files. I guess I will still hold out some sort of action will happen. I also know there is the Epstein Class and then there is the rest of us. Laws differ. Apply by class. Thanks for your perspective and setting me on my heels, Always great reading.
You put the words on the ugly pattern I feel but was unable to name so precisely. I have been trying to aller people in European administrations, in the European media, but they clearly follow the path of silencing in stead of bringing things to the light.
Our institutions are lame just as yours are. It depends on the people now, only upheaval will bring about change. And time is pressing …
I’m not that surprised. These other countries are doing the exact same thing as the U.S. has been doing… and for all the same reasons. Of course, I wanted something different to happen but that was just a fairytale.
Thanks for the explanation… basically again… as to why we’re never going to see the entire network. I know we can always depend on you for truth and clarity.. even when it’s not what we wanted to hear.
Thanks, Jack. I want to give this article a more solid read in the next weeks. My husband passed this morning, and my mind is somewhere between floating in a fog and drowning in pain. But I needed a distraction if only for a few minutes.
I do know it is very important to splash the truth as far as it can go, and the redactions will shine the brightest megawatt light. The redactions are made to precisely the length of the names involved. This will at least let the hackers know what names might fit and what doesn't.
I would not be surprised if names such as Alex Acosta and Pam Bondi are hidden behind the blackouts. I certainly don't care what political icons or hacks are included. Screw them.The names on the plane manifests would be a good starting point to fill in the blanks, that and news articles titled something like: The World's Richest Men, or Top Paid CEOs, maybe additional names from the various European royal families, or managing partners of the largest law firms, or highest elected positions.
In the videos and photos of trump and Epstein, there are often men and women in the background. Have they been identified? In one a man ducks behind Maxwell as he scoots behind trump and Epstein.
Jack-Broken the Brilliance Barrier beyond belief… AGAIN.
“Hope springs eternal” hits harder when drowned in a deluge of daily depravity discounted or normalized by those in power.
This column strips away the emotional green slime of the Epstein Elite in which we’re immersed to spotlight the System that requires being SHATTERED.
So grateful for your mind, words & being.
***My first oh fuck moment was some random news item during the early investigation about Epstein’s occupation/source of income. Ghiz took Jeff to meet Daddy. Mr Maxwell and Mossad likey likey. Wish I’d bookmarked it.
I was hoping the Epstein files would be this admin's downfall. But you are right, this is systemic system breakdown. The financial corruption/blackmail is second only to the unfettered access afforded to powerful elites. Per your list below, I am not sure we can ever uncover the true scope of the crimes.
There are many seriously good hackers working on showing what's underneath the redactions. And they are going to succeed in this. Do you think the "outing" of the people behind the redactions will change the equation at all?
Cynthia...I get the excitement about this. You best believe I do. Who wouldn't want to know what was redacted?!
With that said, I spoke with someone who previously...and relatively recently worked in one of the intelligence agencies, and I asked if this was possible. I didn't get the answer that I think most defenders of democracy would have hoped for.
Most modern redactions are “burned in.” If the publisher flattened the PDF (or exported an image), the black bars aren’t just a layer sitting on top of text...they’re literally part of the pixels. When that happens...there’s just as literally nothing underneath to reveal. Nothing.
Regarding your question of whether the redactions (if somehow revealed) would change the equation at all, here are my thoughts on that.
It might change the noise. It might create reputational fallout. But...the core equation only changes when one (or more) of these happens:
*A lawful disclosure path forces release (court orders, FOIA litigation, congressional subpoenas, inspector general findings)
*Admissible evidence emerges that prosecutors can actually use
*Institutional incentives flip (banks/regulators/courts/political leadership decide the cost of containment is higher than the cost of exposure)
In other words...outing can spark heat...but heat isn’t leverage...unless it translates into lawful process and enforceable consequences.
Not exactly what you wanted to hear (or something ANY of us want to hear)...but....
Thank you for being here, Cynthia!
-Jack
Gut punch 👊🤮. Thank you for your perspective on this madness.
You’re welcome, Coco.
Here’s something I learned a long time ago, working with people who were living at the far edge of anxiety:
The truth doesn’t break you.
Confusion does.
When someone learns how to process reality...how to think it through...sort it...and put it in the right frame...even an ugly truth becomes stabilizing. Because now it’s known. It’s mapped. It’s handled.
Facts...organized and used properly...calm the nervous system in a way self-soothing lies never can.
A lie might feel good for five minutes.
But it ALWAYS charges you interest later.
#HoldFast
-Jack
As someone who deals with anxiety, you are spot on, Jack! I also love it when people speak plainly. It’s much easier to avoid misinterpretation.
Thanks for knowing all these things and putting sometimes complicated stuff into plain language. It’s much appreciated!
I’m convinced that what is being uncovered by Ellie Leonard’s (and others including Aaron Parnas) crowdsourced deep multifaceted investigation has the best chance of revealing threads no one can see yet.
When (not if) she and her sleuths are successful, I can envision a Woodward and Bernstein - like Pulitzer Prize in the future. Wouldn’t that be delightful!
Tom...that would be BEYOND delightful! And...and can see that event inspiring another new flag or sign for you home. :)
-Jack
Fuck yeah!
Hahahah! I love it.
Yikes. Also, of course!
As a teacher, it's the difference between the kid who makes a detailed crib sheet & conceals it expertly in order to cheat on a test and the kid who blatantly looks at another student's answers. Both aim to cheat, but you find yourself thinking sadly about the second kid, "Couldn't you even be bothered enough to try to hide it?! I mean, look at Joey over there--at least he *worked at* defrauding the system."
We are, most of us, eager to retain some respect for someone, somehow. When our context is nice and circumscribed, it's much easier to do than when you zoom out to look at larger patterns.
Thank you. Also, sigh.
J E Ross, yikes is right. And yes...of course.
That’s a great analogy...because it gets at something uncomfortable but very human:
Effort still signals respect for the system...even when the intent is bad. The first kid understands the rules well enough to try to work around them. The second isn’t even engaging with the premise.
And...you’re right...we want to retain some respect.
We look for signs of care...competence...or constraint...because they let us keep believing the system still has edges.
Zoom out, though...and that illusion gets harder to maintain. Patterns don’t flatter anyone. They just tell the truth.
So...yes...you're welcome. Thank you for that great analogy!
-Jack
Good point. It’s up to us to clean up the mess. I hope we have it within ourselves to follow thru.
John Dolan, I hear the hope in that...and...I’d add one thing that makes it even more hopeful.
It’s rarely “us” all at once. It’s usually enough people...in enough places...doing the unglamorous follow-through: documenting...insisting on process...refusing shortcuts...not letting the mess get renamed as “normal.”
That’s how cleanup actually happens. Not in a rush...but steadily enough that it can’t be ignored.
Reminding myself...every now and then...that it doesn't take ALL of us...but just ENOUGH of us...has a real stabilizing element to it...and makes it much easier to keep going. Especially when you encounter someone who clearly...shows no desire to be part of the solution.
Thank's for being here, John!
-Jack
I think everything will come to light eventually, but only through the diligent work of Ellie Leonard, Zev Shalev, Lev & Aaron Parnas, Dean Blundell, Kait Justice, Julie K. Brown, Vicky Ward, Tara Palmieri and the super sleuths working diligently to uncover the Epstein files. Thankfully the FBI appears to have been sloppy in the redactions, not a surprise. I have confidence these folks will not rest until heads roll. I may be misreading the room, but I really don’t think so. Thank you for showing the structural failures because that gives us what we need to succeed. You’re a real gem, Jack! #HOLDFAST
Elizabeth, I really appreciate the generosity of that...and the spirit behind it.
I'll add this: the people you named are effective...not because they’re chasing “exposure at any cost,” but because they work within verifiable lanes...documents...timelines...on-the-record reporting...survivor-centered investigation.
That’s why their work lasts...and why it can’t be waved away.
Sometimes redactions are sloppy. And, often they’re very...deliberately. Either way...what ultimately changes outcomes isn’t clever workarounds...it’s lawful pressure...corroborated facts...and persistence that institutions can’t out-wait.
You’re not misreading the room about the hunger for accountability. Where I try to be careful is separating confidence in people...from confidence in outcomes. The former is earned. The latter takes time...structure...and, as you suggest... RELENTLESS follow-through.
Thank YOU, Elizabeth...for seeing why structural failures matter. Once you can name the failure modes...you’re no longer stuck reacting. That’s where real leverage begins.
#HOLDFAST...always!
-Jack
👍💯#HOLDFAST
Persistence is valuable. Questions should continue. Perhaps rivals of those exposed within the networks and timelines will seek absolution. Buy stock in popcorn and tabloids
Pamela, exactly! Persistence is the whole game.
Questions that don’t go away force movement...sometimes from places you’d never expect.
Rivalries crack silence. Self-interest does the rest. People don’t suddenly grow consciences...they look for exits.
So...yes...keep asking...keep pressing...KEEP timelines alive.
And… yeah. Popcorn ready. 🍿
-Jack
I’ll never be satisfied until the victims get justice. Meaning the rapists and their enablers are in jail. Resigning from a prestigious position doesn’t cut it. That isn’t justice for the
victims …just a minor glitch in their very entitled lives.
Joni, that anger makes sense...and you’re right about the distinction.
Consequences that inconvenience status...yeah, that's not justice. They’re reputation management. Justice...as you’re naming it...is about accountability that actually matches the HARM:
Facts established...responsibility assigned...and REAL penalties imposed on those who committed crimes...AND those who enabled them.
Resignations may acknowledge pressure...but they don’t restore dignity to victims or deter the next abuse. That gap...between symbolic fallout and actual justice...is exactly why so many people REFUSE to feel satisfied.
And...they’re right to.
I love your spirit and grit!
-Jack
Bummer. The redactions prove co-conspiracy to protect the elite. Too bad they are “burned in.” The need for justice must go on — with the foot on the gas. Names, dates, and men taken to court. This oligarchy must not win.
I hear the urgency, Jane B, and I share the refusal to let this slide into symbolism.
One small point that matters for keeping expectations accurate: redactions don’t prove conspiracy by themselves. What they clearly show is institutional self-protection...a decision to limit exposure...rather than illuminate the whole picture.
You’re spot ON about the rest...justice isn’t momentum alone. Its names tied to evidence...dates tied to records...cases that survive courtrooms.
That’s what actually changes outcomes. Keep the pressure on...and keep it precise. That’s how entrenched power...gets BEATEN.
I'm glad you've brought your FIRE to here to share freely!
-Jack
Thank you Jack! For all you do to help us.
Jack
is right to push back on the idea that “other countries are doing better.” What’s happening abroad doesn’t look like a real reckoning so much as damage control. Resignations, ethics reviews, and narrow financial investigations create the appearance of action without touching the larger system that allowed Epstein’s network to operate for years. When institutions are faced with their own failure, they don’t go looking for the full truth — they limit the scope so the consequences stay manageable.
The harder truth is that this isn’t about any one country lacking courage. It’s about shared incentives. A serious investigation would force governments to confront how power, money, and influence shape law enforcement and financial oversight across borders. That kind of inquiry would implicate banks, regulators, prosecutors, and political elites all at once. So instead, accountability gets individualized and compartmentalized. What remains is not justice unfolding slowly, but accountability carefully contained — enough to calm the public, not enough to expose the structure that failed.
Outstanding Jack, many thanks.
It feels that everything is being couched in news reports as something terrible but that it stopped with Epstein, trump and Maxwell. It didn't. The child rapists didn't have a Come To Jesus Moment, they simply found others to fulfill their depraved appetites.
Well….ugh! I had hopes. I guess Miss Pollyanna was hoping for some sort of accountability. I am hoping Rep. Maddie starts naming names. He stated today if Bondi, et alia didn’t start actually doing what they should do and follow the law, he would stand in Congress and name names. Maybe that is shaming, but is better than idling. We know some of the business connections, create more and start connecting the dots. I think Lithuania is planning to investigate connections to Russia over these files. I guess I will still hold out some sort of action will happen. I also know there is the Epstein Class and then there is the rest of us. Laws differ. Apply by class. Thanks for your perspective and setting me on my heels, Always great reading.
#HoldFast
#2547
You put the words on the ugly pattern I feel but was unable to name so precisely. I have been trying to aller people in European administrations, in the European media, but they clearly follow the path of silencing in stead of bringing things to the light.
Our institutions are lame just as yours are. It depends on the people now, only upheaval will bring about change. And time is pressing …
I’m not that surprised. These other countries are doing the exact same thing as the U.S. has been doing… and for all the same reasons. Of course, I wanted something different to happen but that was just a fairytale.
Thanks for the explanation… basically again… as to why we’re never going to see the entire network. I know we can always depend on you for truth and clarity.. even when it’s not what we wanted to hear.
#HOLDFAST
~Susan
Thanks, Jack. I want to give this article a more solid read in the next weeks. My husband passed this morning, and my mind is somewhere between floating in a fog and drowning in pain. But I needed a distraction if only for a few minutes.
I do know it is very important to splash the truth as far as it can go, and the redactions will shine the brightest megawatt light. The redactions are made to precisely the length of the names involved. This will at least let the hackers know what names might fit and what doesn't.
I would not be surprised if names such as Alex Acosta and Pam Bondi are hidden behind the blackouts. I certainly don't care what political icons or hacks are included. Screw them.The names on the plane manifests would be a good starting point to fill in the blanks, that and news articles titled something like: The World's Richest Men, or Top Paid CEOs, maybe additional names from the various European royal families, or managing partners of the largest law firms, or highest elected positions.
In the videos and photos of trump and Epstein, there are often men and women in the background. Have they been identified? In one a man ducks behind Maxwell as he scoots behind trump and Epstein.
#HoldFast my friend.
Jack-Broken the Brilliance Barrier beyond belief… AGAIN.
“Hope springs eternal” hits harder when drowned in a deluge of daily depravity discounted or normalized by those in power.
This column strips away the emotional green slime of the Epstein Elite in which we’re immersed to spotlight the System that requires being SHATTERED.
So grateful for your mind, words & being.
***My first oh fuck moment was some random news item during the early investigation about Epstein’s occupation/source of income. Ghiz took Jeff to meet Daddy. Mr Maxwell and Mossad likey likey. Wish I’d bookmarked it.
I was hoping the Epstein files would be this admin's downfall. But you are right, this is systemic system breakdown. The financial corruption/blackmail is second only to the unfettered access afforded to powerful elites. Per your list below, I am not sure we can ever uncover the true scope of the crimes.
Exposure of political elites
Exposure of financial institutions
Exposure of intelligence failures
Exposure of regulatory capture
Exposure of transnational facilitation