Rep. Ro Khanna speaks at Epstein Files Transparency Act press conference with Epstein victims on Capitol Hill (Photo by Jordan Conradson)
In a back-and-forth exchange on X, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) revealed that the DOJ redacted the name of a former candidate for office, who was in contact with Jeffrey Epstein as recently as 2016, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche responded by claiming that the politician was actually a victim.
This comes after the DOJ unredacted the names of six men, who are likely implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein files, following Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) discovery that their names were redacted in portions that were damaging to them. Khanna revealed the names on the House Floor on Tuesday as Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, Nicola Caputo, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, and Leslie Wexner.
Notably, Les Wexner, a businessman and former Victoria’s Secret CEO, was mentioned countless times in the files, but Massie said that his name was specifically redacted when mentioned as a coconspirator of the late pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein.
Rep. Thomas Massie went off on Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Wexner redaction during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, where she denied attempting to protect Wexner during a heated exchange.
WATCH:
As The Gateway Pundit reported earlier, another one of these men, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, resigned from his role at Dubai port giant DP World on Friday amid fallout from being revealed in a disturbing email where Epstein writes, “I loved the torture video.”
JUST IN: Dubai’s DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem Resigns After DOJ Forced to Unredact Name in Epstein Files, Revealed in Email About a “Torture Video”
But there may be others who were improperly redacted, as Khanna revealed on Thursday that he found a February 2016 email to Epstein from a “political figure who shouldn’t have been redacted,” but was redacted in the public version of the files.
The email to Jeffrey Epstein reads,
Hi Jeffrey,
I got more votes than Jeb Bush got in Iowa, and I only had one congressional district, he had four!! It’s so funny (to me – totally embarrassing to him)!!! Still like Trump * and might be a delegate to the republican convention.
Was in St. Thomas for a couple of days – did call this island, but never heard back. Went scuba diving off St. Jeff and it was beautiful. Would be totally funny (to me at least) if you put a big fake shark or statute under the water where the divers go….
Khanna said this redaction was a “direct violation” of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and called for the Justice Department to unredact the politician’s name.
I saw this email at DOJ today. This is a political figure who shouldn’t have been redacted. It’s a direct violation of @RepThomasMassie and my Epstein Files Transparency Act. @TheJusticeDept should unredact it immediately. https://t.co/AAKxDtbCZW pic.twitter.com/0oRvNrW9EE
— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) February 12, 2026
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Many have speculated online that the email was sent by Gwendolyn Beck, who ran for Congress in Virginia in 2014, though it is unclear whether she actually sent it. Beck was reportedly a money manager for Epstein, who dated disgraced ex-Senator Bob Menendez and allegedly participated in orgies with Epstein and underage girls, according to the late Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre.
Beck received a $2,600 campaign donation from Jeffrey Epstein in 2014. She was further represented, along with Epstein, the Coalition of Independent Voices in Congress (CIVIC), and the Eagles Party PAC, both of which also donated $2,600 to her in 2014, by Epstein’s personal attorney and estate executor, Darren Indyke, in an FEC complaint alleging violations of campaign contribution limits in 2015.
This is known Epstein associate Gwendolyn Beck. She ran for VA-8 back in 14’ and is being cheeky when she says she received more votes in that district than Jeb Bush did in all of Iowa (IA has 4 districts). https://t.co/kdmDricFxS pic.twitter.com/k815K28PzN
— Raoul Duke (@raouldukesss) February 12, 2026
But Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a contemptuous response, accusing Khanna of demanding a “victim’s” name to be redacted. “Care to update your tweet?” Blanche mockingly said with a clown emoji.
You are calling for the release of a victim’s personal information. Care to update your tweet? https://t.co/RrfwbADSf4
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) February 12, 2026
Khanna then fired back, “There is no evidence this political candidate was a victim,” leading Blanche to admit that the woman self-identified as a victim, which is why her name was redacted.
There is no evidence this political candidate was a victim.
And you refuse to answer @RepThomasMassie and my basic question. Why were all the FBI files scrubbed in March and uploaded redacted in the DOJ database? https://t.co/lecij831nZ
— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) February 13, 2026
“As we have repeatedly said and written to you and your colleagues, victims identified themselves as such to the FBI and the DOJ,” Blanche replied. “I’ll ask you again to take down that post.”
As we have repeatedly said and written to you and your colleagues, victims identified themselves as such to the FBI and the DOJ. I’ll ask you again to take down that post. https://t.co/h7vKgxzjkP
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) February 13, 2026
Khanna used the admission against him, questioning why the so-called victim is identified in other parts of the files and whether the redactions, namely Les Wexner, were self-identified victims. “What about the actual survivors who you failed to redact and are terrified now? Why aren’t you fighting for them?” he further asked in reference to the DOJ previously publishing the names of actual victims.
The same candidate you claim is a victim is identified in other parts of the file.
Also, did Les Wexner identify himself as a victim to the DOJ? How about the Sultan? You redacted them.
I would ask again why have you had blanket redactions of FBI files? Happy to meet with you with @RepThomasMassie as we have requested many times.
What about the actual survivors who you failed to redact and are terrified now? Why aren’t you fighting for them?
What about the actual survivors who you failed to redact and are terrified now? Why aren’t you fighting for them @DAGToddBlanche?
— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) February 13, 2026
This is a developing story.
The post NEW: DOJ Seemingly Redacted Name of Epstein-Funded Political Candidate who Emailed with Epstein and is Accused of Participating in Orgies – Deputy AG Todd Blanche Claims She’s a “Victim” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.