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Manhattan Today
By the People, for the People
Epstein Files Reveal Scramble Over 'Missing Minute' Blunder
New documents expose the FBI's frantic efforts to retrieve lost footage that fueled wild conspiracy theories about Epstein's death.
Published on Feb. 12, 2026
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New documents on the crimes of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein reveal the FBI was in a frantic scramble to retrieve lost footage that fueled wild conspiracy theories about his death. Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously claimed a video taken outside Epstein's cell the night he died in 2019 was missing a minute due to a nightly reset of the prison's surveillance equipment, but this was not true. The latest Epstein files suggest the embarrassing blunder came about after the FBI granted permission to destroy a master recording of tapes from the Manhattan Correctional Center in 2024.
Why it matters
The missing minute in the Epstein surveillance footage sparked intense speculation and conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding his death. This new information sheds light on how the FBI and Department of Justice handled the fallout and attempted to reconstitute the footage, underscoring the scale of Epstein's crimes and the government's response.
The details
According to the documents, in June 2024 the FBI granted permission for one of their agents to destroy a master recording of tapes from the Manhattan Correctional Center after it was deemed 'no longer pertinent' to their inquiries. This led to a frantic scramble by the Justice Department to reconstitute the footage, splicing together source clips that resulted in the 'missing minute' version released last July. The full version of the video, released in September, showed nothing unusual happened in the previously missing gap the night of Epstein's death.
- In June 2024, the FBI granted permission to destroy a master recording of tapes from the Manhattan Correctional Center.
- In August 2024, an FBI agent concurred with agency evidence handling procedures to destroy the master recording.
- In February 2025, an agent wrote an account of the deletion of the master recording.
- In May 2025, an agent used a screen capture tool to re-record the footage from the NiceVision system, but 62 seconds of footage couldn't be captured.
- In July 2026, the 'missing minute' version of the video was released by the Justice Department.
The players
Pam Bondi
The former Attorney General of Florida who claimed the missing minute in the Epstein surveillance footage was due to a nightly reset of the prison's surveillance equipment.
Thomas Massie
A Congressman who led a bipartisan push to secure the release of the Epstein Files.
Ro Khanna
A Congressman who led a bipartisan push to secure the release of the Epstein Files.
Marjorie Taylor Greene
A former Congresswoman who lobbied for the release of new documents related to the Epstein case prior to her resignation.
The takeaway
This case highlights the government's handling of the Epstein investigation and the fallout over the missing surveillance footage, which fueled intense speculation and conspiracy theories. It underscores the scale of Epstein's crimes and the challenges faced by authorities in piecing together the evidence.
