The Justice Department is pushing back on comments made by a senior official in a hidden camera video recorded and published by far-right operative James O’Keefe in which the official weighs in on the case of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Joseph Schnitt, a deputy chief of staff at the Office of Enforcement Operations, was caught on camera suggesting that the government would redact the name of any Republican incriminated in the Epstein files and positing that Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was relocated to a lower security prison as part of a deal. Schnitt’s comments were published by O’Keefe on Thursday.
Both Schnitt and the Justice Department have since sought to downplay the significance of Schnitt’s comments and explain the circumstances around the video.
“The comments in this video have absolutely zero bearing with reality and reflect a total lack of knowledge of the DOJ’s review process,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “The DOJ is committed to transparency and is in compliance with the House Oversight Committee’s request for documents.”
The department also published a statement from Schnitt to his director, Jeffrey Pollak, in which he explained that he went on two dates in August with a woman named Skylar after they met on the dating app Hinge. Schnitt said the woman’s online profile is no longer available.
“She claimed to be an au pair in Georgetown. She gave no clues that she was a reporter or recording our date,” Schnitt said in the statement, which was posted on social media. “Had I a clue, the first date would have immediately ended and there would never have been a second one.”
Schnitt went on to say that his comments captured in the video were based on what he had “learned in the media and not from anything I’ve done at or via work.”
“I have no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Ms. Maxwell other than what is reported in the news,” Schnitt said. “I also never divulged anything about what I do at work. I recall that she asked if I had any knowledge about Maxwell and I specifically said I only know what’s been reported in the media.”
O’Keefe is the founder of O’Keefe Media Group. He previously led the right-wing group Project Veritas. The organizations have produced videos, often deceptively edited, in which its members secretly record conversations with their subjects to gather incriminating or unflattering information.
In the video posted Thursday, Schnitt can be seen saying the government was offering Maxwell “something to keep her mouth shut.” The Epstein associate sat in late July for interviews with a top DOJ official, and she has indicated she is interested in a pardon.
Schnitt also is seen saying of the Epstein files, “They’ll redact every Republican or conservative person in those files, leave all the liberal, Democratic people in those files.”
Epstein, accused in several cases of sex trafficking young girls, ran in high-powered circles with figures that included President Trump, former President Clinton, Britain’s Prince Andrew and a number of other celebrities and ultrawealthy people. Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking. No other individuals have been charged in relation to Epstein’s alleged crimes.
His death has been the source of various conspiracy theories among individuals who claim there is a cover-up to protect powerful figures.
Lawmakers in both parties have pushed for additional disclosures around the Epstein case. The DOJ has turned over thousands of documents to lawmakers, though Trump has dismissed the bipartisan calls for more transparency as a “Democrat hoax” and argued his administration has provided enough information.
