In a secret recording known as a “honeytrap,” a top Justice Department official (DOJ) boasted about a plan to help protect Republicans from the looming outrage over Jeffrey Epstein’s client files during a casual encounter set up through the dating app Hinge. Trump’s supporters fear the “deep state” is doing everything in its power to overthrow him.
The program emphasized how the dispute over the unreleased files has turned into political theater, and the DOJ has subsequently gone into damage-control mode, frantically trying to mitigate the fallout.
Joseph Schnitt, an acting deputy chief under Attorney General Pam Bondi, is at the center of the scandal after a woman allegedly affiliated with James O’Keefe’s conservative media operation secretly videotaped him on two dates arranged through Hinge.
BREAKING: DOJ Deputy Chief Admits Government Will “Redact Every Republican” While “Leav[ing] All the Liberal, Democratic People” on the Epstein Client List; Says Ghislaine Maxwell Was Moved to a Lower-Security Prison As “A Benefit… to Keep Her Mouth Shut”
“She [Maxwell] got… pic.twitter.com/QzSEdxnBqR
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) September 4, 2025
Schnitt can be heard saying in an edited video made public on Thursday that the department intended to “redact every Republican or conservative person in those files” while leaving Democrats unprotected.
“They’ll redact every Republican or conservative person in those files, leave all the liberal, Democratic people in those files, and have a very slanted version of it come out,” Schnitt said in the video. He further asserted that Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security institution was an attempt to “keep her mouth shut” and that it was against Bureau of Prisons protocol.
Social media was rocked by Schnitt’s comments, which were interpreted as proof of partisan meddling by watchdogs and transparency activists. However, the DOJ swiftly rejected the footage.
In a statement posted on X, the department said, “The comments in this video have absolutely zero bearing with reality and reflect a total lack of knowledge of the DOJ’s review process.” O’Keefe’s most recent shocking revelation did not sit well with his devoted fan base or Trump supporters.
One user shared under O’Keefe’s video post, “Just trying to impress his ‘date’ with all his supposed insider knowledge. I’m not really focused on whether what he said was true; I just can’t believe he’s enough of a moron to say it. He should certainly be fired.”
Holy Crap! MAGA is totally pissed at Trump & his Administration for all the lies being told including about him being a FBI informant while trying to Coverup the Epstein files! These are hard wired MAGA influencers or at least were.They also don’t like the survivors disrespected. pic.twitter.com/BjjVnztBNu
— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) September 8, 2025
With Trump at the heart of the issue, the link to the O’Keefe Media Group further highlighted how the Epstein files dispute has grown more politicized.
O’Keefe’s notoriety was established through his use of hidden cameras to sting government organizations, labor unions, and mainstream media. The material he presented was frequently altered to paint political opponents in the worst possible way.
Although detractors claim the strategies are more intended to support partisan narratives that favor Trump and his supporters, his group presents the effort as an attempt to uncover corruption. Although Schnitt acknowledged that he had been filmed, he maintained that the comments were taken out of context and were personal.
