Tag: transparency

Epstein files release in chaos as Trump officials scramble to redact thousands of documents hours before deadline

Donald Trump‘s Department of Justice is working around the clock to redact thousands of pages from the Epstein files before their legally required release Friday.

White House officials are bracing for the release of the files after Trump has been the subject of rampant speculation about his connection to Epstein. 

Also believed to be in the files are former President Bill Clinton, the former Prince Andrew, and others.

There are fears that the same rushed workflow and deadline could lead to similar mistakes to the release of the JFK assassination files, which unintentionally revealed the social security numbers of more than 200 people. 

Pam Bondi’s DOJ lawyers are worried that the the Justice Department’s National Security Division don’t have the proper guidance on how to provide the most information legally possible. 

Attorneys for the DOJ are reportedly working on over 1,000 documents per week to get the files ready in time to meet their deadline, CNN reported. 

They must be able to edit the files to protect the victims of the late billionaire pedophile and meet executive and legal privacy requirements. Many are preparing for more to be redacted than is legally necessary. 

‘Either they’re going to screw it up or they’re going to withhold things. It wouldn’t surprise me. Some of it may be incompetence as much as deliberate,’ a non-DOJ lawyer awaiting the release said. 

The DOJ has asked additional counter-intelligence specialists to drop everything else they were doing to process the files. Some refused the assignment.  

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UFO Transparency Stalls Again as Congressional Leaders Fail to Act Despite Growing Attention

Congressional leadership has abandoned full enactment of the proposed Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act (UAPDA) after it was not included in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, due to be signed by President Trump.

Liberation Times understands that the proposed legislation—first introduced in 2023 by then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat) and Senator Mike Rounds (Republican), a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees—now faces an uncertain future.

After initial resistance in 2023—reportedly from some in House and Senate leadership—a mostly gutted version of the UAPDA was ultimately enacted via the 2024 NDAA. 

In response, Senators Schumer and Rounds entered into a colloquy on the Senate floor expressing their disappointment with House Republicans and pledged to continue pursuing the full legislation, including the creation of an independent Review Board: a nine-member panel of U.S. citizens appointed by the President, and confirmed by the Senate. 

Under the proposal, the Board would have authority to assess and advise on the public release of UAP-related information and records, alongside provisions requiring the government to secure possession of any recovered UAP material and related biological evidence that may have been transferred to private entities—potentially placing it beyond the reach of Congress and the American public.

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Taxpayers Asked To Fund A Hospital Takeover They’re Not Allowed To See

When Connecticut lawmakers pushed the UConn Health hospital acquisition bill through the November special session — without a public hearing — it was clear transparency was not the priority.  

Now UConn Health, the state-run hospital system preparing to spend roughly half a billion taxpayer dollars acquiring Waterbury Hospital, has taken that secrecy a step further. Under the legislation rushed through the November special session — which authorizes UConn Health not just to purchase Waterbury Hospital but potentially to acquire additional struggling hospitals in the future — the financial stakes extend far beyond a single transaction. Yet in its Certificate of Need filing, UConn has asked state regulators to seal its cost and market impact review (CMIR) — the central analysis used to evaluate how the deal would affect prices, competition, access, and the financial risks taxpayers may ultimately assume.

The legislature avoided public scrutiny when passing the legislation. UConn Health is now avoiding scrutiny on the financials themselves. 

According to its filing, UConn Health plans to invest $195 million in Waterbury Hospital over the next two years, including $13 million paid directly to Prospect Medical Holdings, the California based, bankrupt for-profit chain that allowed the hospital to deteriorate. But the upfront investment represents only a small portion of the true cost. The bulk will come from $390 million in UConn 2000 bonds, state-backed debt. Once interest is included, taxpayers will ultimately shoulder roughly $500 million. 

The financial risk is not theoretical. It falls squarely on Connecticut residents. 

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Demands to Release Full Video of Deadly US Boat Strike Grow After Congressional Briefing

Calls mounted Thursday for the Trump administration to release the full video of a September US airstrike on a boat allegedly transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea following a briefing between Pentagon officials and select lawmakers that left some Democrats with more questions than answers.

“I am deeply disturbed by what I saw this morning,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said after the briefing. “The Department of Defense has no choice but to release the complete, unedited footage of the September 2 strike, as the president has agreed to do.”

Reed’s remarks came after Adm. Frank Bradley and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine briefed some members of the Senate and House Armed Services and Intelligence committees on the so-called “double-tap” strike, in which nine people were killed in the initial bombing and two survivors clinging to the burning wreckage of the vessel were slain in second attack.

Lawmakers who attended the briefing said that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly did not give an order to “kill everyone” aboard the boat. However, legal experts and congressional critics contend that the strikes are inherently illegal under international law.

“This did not reduce my concerns at all – or anyone else’s,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), who attended the briefing, told the New Republic’s Greg Sargent in response to the findings regarding Hegseth’s actions. “This is a big, big problem, and we need a full investigation.”

“I think that video should be public,” Smith added.

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Federal Judge Orders Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts Unsealed

A federal judge issued an order that transcripts from grand jury proceedings in Florida that took place 20 years ago, relating to a criminal investigation into deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, be unsealed.

In his order on Friday, U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith explained that the “specific language” of the Epstein Files Transparency Act “trumps Rule 6’s prohibition on disclosure,” according to ABC News.

President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November. In a post on Truth Social, Trump predicted that “perhaps the truth” would come out about Democrats such as former President Bill Clinton, Democrat megadonor Reid Hoffman, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and their associations with Epstein.

“The Act applies to unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials that relate to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell,” Smith said. “Consequently, the later-enacted and specific language of the Act trumps Rule 6’s prohibition on disclosure. Accordingly, it is ORDERED that United States’ Expedited Motion to Unseal Grand Jury Transcripts and Modify Protective Order … is GRANTED.”

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“I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” – President Trump Signs Epstein Files Transparency Act, Says The Truth About Epstein’s Democrat Affiliates “Will Soon be Revealed”

President Trump has signed the Epstein Files Transparency act into law to release all files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, the House overwhelmingly voted for the bill, with only one Republican defector, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), voting against the bill, citing privacy concerns for victims of Epstein.

The Senate later approved the bill by unanimous consent.

The President called on Congress to pass the bill on  Tuesday, stating, “We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown.’”

President Trump released a statement on Wednesday, slamming the Democrats and highlighting Jeffrey Epstein’s support for Democrats and his affiliation with prominent Democrats like Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, and Larry Summers.

Fox reports, “Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Wednesday that she would comply with the law after it was signed, which directs the Justice Department to release the files online in a searchable format within 30 days.”

“Do not forget — The Biden Administration did not turn over a SINGLE file or page related to Democrat Epstein, nor did they ever even speak about him,” Trump said.

“For years our Great Nation has had to endure RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, IMPEACHMENT HOAX #1, IMPEACHMENT HOAX #2, and many other Democrat created Witch Hunts and Scams, all of which have been so terrible and divisive for our Country, and have been done to confuse, deflect, and distract from the GREAT JOB that Republicans, and the Trump Administration, are doing,” the President continued. “This latest Hoax will backfire on the Democrats just as all of the rest have! Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!“

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Senate Passes Epstein Files Transparency Act by Unanimous Consent – Bill Now Heads to Trump’s Desk

The Senate has officially passed the Epstein Transparency Act to compel the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files. 

The Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent as soon as it is transmitted from the House at the request of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer thinks this will help the Democrats, but we are expecting some high-profile Democrats to be named in the files.

No Senators objected to his request.

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As Mass Chat Surveillance Nears Approval, President von der Leyen is Accused of Transparency Violations Over Deleted Messages

As EU lawmakers push ahead with Chat Control 2.0, a proposal that would compel messaging platforms to scan private conversations, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is once again being called out for sidestepping the very transparency rules meant to keep officials accountable.

The contrast is hard to ignore: while European citizens face the prospect of mass surveillance, von der Leyen continues to ignore the laws and conduct her own communications away from public view.

The latest case involves a message sent by French President Emmanuel Macron in early 2024, during a politically sensitive phase of trade negotiations with Mercosur.

Macron’s message, sent via Signal, reportedly voiced serious reservations about the deal.

When a journalist requested access under EU transparency laws, the Commission first ignored the request for over a year. It then claimed the message could not be retrieved, citing Signal’s disappearing messages setting, which automatically deletes texts after a set time.

This justification has prompted the European Ombudswoman, Teresa Anjinho, to launch a formal inquiry. Her office has requested documentation outlining the Commission’s policies on mobile messaging and message retention, and plans to meet with officials to clarify how the request was handled.

This isn’t the first time von der Leyen’s messaging habits have raised concerns. In the case known as “Pfizergate,” she was criticized for failing to preserve texts exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during Covid vaccine negotiations.

The Commission refused to release the messages, and it later emerged they had been deleted. The New York Times took the matter to court and won, with the European General Court ruling that the Commission had wrongly withheld information of public interest.

Despite these past controversies, little appears to have changed. The Commission claims that messages like Macron’s had no administrative or legal impact and therefore didn’t need to be archived.

Officials have also pointed to concerns over phone storage and security as reasons for using auto-deleting features. These arguments seem increasingly weak in 2025, especially when applied to discussions between heads of state.

The journalist behind the Macron request argues that such deletion practices make it nearly impossible to monitor how decisions are made at the highest level.

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State of Utah: Charlie Kirk autopsy report will not be made public by medical examiner’s office

Unlike other states, Utah doesn’t have county coroners. Instead, a state Office of the Medical Examiner performs required autopsies and issues those reports.

But autopsy reports are not public documents under Utah state law and may not be released to the public: They can only be released to the following: next-of-kin, law enforcement, a legal representative and a physician who attended the deceased person.

When asked by Crossroads Report today, the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner said they could not even confirm whether an autopsy was being performed on Charlie Kirk.

“We are not able to make any comment about any cases that have been worked on, past or present,” said Danielle Conlon, a spokesperson for the office.

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Military Officials Describe UFO Sightings, Demand Government Transparency

Several former and current U.S. military officials described sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) to Congress on Sept. 9 and called on the Pentagon to be more transparent about its disclosures on the phenomenon.

During a House Oversight subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, titled “Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection,” several past and present Department of Defense officials testified that they had witnessed UFOs—which the Pentagon now refers to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)—while serving in the military.

The hearing also featured a new, never-before-seen video of an alleged UFO recorded near the coast of Yemen in October 2024.

Air Force veteran Dylan Borland told lawmakers that he encountered “sustained reprisals” and retaliation from the Pentagon after whistleblowing about an alleged UFO he saw while working at a military base in 2012.

“I saw an approximately 100-foot equilateral triangle take off from near the NASA hangar on the base. The craft interferes with my telephone, did not have any sound, and the material it was made of appeared fluid or dynamic,” Borland said.

“I was under the triangular craft for a few minutes, and then it rapidly ascended to commercial jet level in seconds, displaying zero kinetic disturbance, sound, or wind displacement.”

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