While America waited for truth, Washington took a vacation
Ben Cable (Originally Posted on Substack Dec 23, 2025)
By Citizen Ben
Christmas lights twinkle. Eggnog flows. And somewhere in Washington, the most powerful people in the country have decided that now—of all times—is the perfect moment to slow-walk the truth about Jeffrey Epstein and the powerful men orbiting him.
If you’re feeling déjà vu, that’s because you’ve seen this movie before. The plot never changes: promise transparency, miss deadlines, release half-answers, and then—conveniently—leave town.
This year’s holiday greeting card reads: “Merry Epstein, Donald Trump.”
Today’s partial release (30 thousand) of Epstein-related files and last week’s defensive DOJ letter explaining why the government missed its own hard Friday deadline were framed as progress. But for survivors, it was something else entirely:
A reminder that the system still treats their pain as an inconvenience.
THE FILES ARRIVED-THE ANSWERS DID NOT
On December 23, 2025, the Department of Justice released another tranche of Epstein documents, following intense pressure from lawmakers and the public.
But instead of clarity, the release delivered confusion:
- Heavy redactions with no explanation
- Documents appearing, disappearing, then reappearing
- References to powerful figures — including Donald Trump — without context or accountability
According to reporting, victims’ advocates say many of the documents appear to have been pre-redacted before public release, with no accompanying justification explaining who ordered the redactions or why certain names, locations, and timelines were removed.
That silence is not procedural.
It’s harmful.
MISSED DEADLINES, MISSED TRUST
The DOJ was legally required to release unclassified Epstein files by December 19, 2025. That deadline came and went.
Only after public outrage did the department issue a letter responding to the delay, citing internal review processes and ongoing concerns — explanations that critics say do not satisfy the law’s requirements.
As reported, Senate leaders have accused the DOJ of violating both the letter and spirit of the statute, while survivors’ attorneys argue that every delay deepens the damage.
Deadlines matter — especially to people who were ignored for years.
CONGRESS LEFT. SURVIVORS DID NOT.
Just as pressure peaked, Mike Johnson cleared the House and sent lawmakers home for a month-long recess.
No hearings.
No public questioning.
No explanations demanded.
But survivors don’t get a recess from the memories being reopened every time a new file drops without warning.
THE HUMAN COST OF “DRIP, DRIP, DRIP”
For Epstein survivors, this staggered release is not an abstract policy debate.
It’s psychological whiplash.
Victims’ advocates say the slow, unexplained rollout forces survivors to:
- Re-experience trauma every time a new batch appears
- Watch powerful names surface without consequences
- Endure renewed media attention without closure
- Question whether the government is protecting perpetrators over people
According to survivors’ legal representatives, the lack of transparency around redactions is especially damaging. When names and details are blacked out without explanation, survivors are left wondering whether:
- Their abusers are being shielded
- Evidence is being selectively buried
- Accountability is once again being delayed until public interest fades
One advocate described the process as “death by a thousand paper cuts” — a slow reopening of wounds without any path to justice.
REDACTIONS WITHOUT REASONS = REVICTIMIZATION
Redactions are sometimes necessary. No serious advocate disputes that.
But unexplained redactions are something else entirely.
They tell survivors:
We know more than you.
We’ve decided what you’re allowed to see.
And we’re not telling you why.
That imbalance of power is the same one Epstein exploited — and the same one institutions promised they would never repeat.
TRUMP, AMBIGUITY, AND POLITICAL COVER
Donald Trump’s relationship to Epstein has long lived in the gray zone — photos, social ties, public comments, and now re-emerging references in official files.
Yet the drip-feed release ensures ambiguity:
- Enough information to raise questions
- Not enough clarity to demand accountability
Ambiguity is politically useful.
For survivors, it’s devastating.
MERRY EPSTEIN — BUT NOT FOR THE VICTIMS
Washington will tell you this is progress.
That patience is required.
That process takes time.
Survivors have already waited decades.
Every missed deadline, every unexplained redaction, every congressional vacation sends the same message:
The system still moves faster to protect itself than to protect the people Epstein harmed.
That’s not transparency.
That’s a seasonal slow roll.
And until all the files come out — without redactions that hide context — the public is being handed half-answers wrapped in holiday cheer.
So here’s your official seasonal risk alert:
📌 If there’s nothing to hide, why isn’t the full story already public?
Merry Epstein, Donald Trump.
And to the survivors watching this unfold in real time: the delay is the story.
Citizen Ben is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
About the Author
