Video footage released by the Department of Justice of Jeffrey Epstein’s cell door in the house before he was found dead was likely altered, a new report states.
Last week, the DOJ and FBI released 11 hours of “full raw” surveillance footage from inside New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center on the evening of August 9 through the early hours of August 10, 2019, in an effort to undermine conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s suicide.
As scrutiny over the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation intensified, a new analysis by Wired challenged the administration’s claims that the footage was unedited.
Forensic experts who worked with the magazine to analyze the metadata embedded in the video concluded that the footage had been “modified,” most likely using Adobe Premiere Pro editing software.
The file containing the surveillance video was allegedly saved by a Windows user at least four times over a 23-minute period on May 23, according to the analysis. The video appears to comprise at least two separate MP4 files that have been stitched together.
“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,” the outlet wrote.
It remains unclear what exactly was changed, with the outlet noting that the metadata “does not prove deceptive manipulation.”
Professor Hany Farid, a digital forensics and misinformation expert at UC Berkeley, told Wired that the footage would not be considered valid evidence in court.
“If a lawyer brought me this file and asked if it was suitable for court, I’d say no. Go back to the source. Do it right,” Farid, who has testified in numerous court cases involving digital evidence, said.
“Do a direct export from the original system – no monkey business.”
Beyond issues with the metadata, Farid questioned why the aspect ratio “suddenly” shifts.
While the video modifications may be benign, the footage is likely to deepen suspicions around Epstein’s death and increase pressure on the administration, including from its own MAGA base, to release additional information about the case.
Attorney General Pam Bondi already faced backlash last week after one minute of footage appeared to be missing from the jail video capturing the disgraced financier’s final hours.
A digital clock visible on the bottom left corner of the footage jumps from 11:58:58 p.m. to 12:00:00 a.m.
Bondi blamed an outdated recording system that produced the video, claiming it resets every day at midnight and skips the same minute each evening.
The FBI and DOJ caused further furore by rejecting the idea that Epstein had a “client list” and investigators uncovered no evidence “that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, have privately expressed frustration with the DOJ’s handling of the case, sources told CNN.
According to people familiar with the matter, Bongino is reportedly weighing whether to resign. At the same time, Patel posted on X that the “conspiracy theories” around Epstein’s death are untrue and “never have been.”
“It’s an honor to serve the President of the United States @realDonaldTrump – and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me,” Patel tweeted Saturday.
Later Saturday, the president took to Truth Social to defend Bondi after major figures within the MAGA movement attacked her following the decision not to release the Epstein files.
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’” Trump wrote. “They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!”
