Epstein files give ‘breadcrumbs’ for Justice Department to pursue: Kaelan Deese

Published February 5, 2026 11:06am ET



Washington Examiner Justice Department reporter Kaelan Deese questioned why the DOJ is not pursuing answers from people mentioned in files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The DOJ released a massive batch of documents related to Epstein on Friday, with various high-profile names listed, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Deese said that a person’s name appearing in these files does not mean they were up to nefarious practices, but their names do give “breadcrumbs” for examination.

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