Picture the stunned silence on the House floor as Rep. Ro Khanna, voice steady and defiant, reads aloud names the Department of Justice fought to keep hidden: Leslie Wexner, the billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the powerful Dubai ports CEO; and four others—Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, and Nicola Caputo—suddenly thrust into the spotlight.
In a dramatic February 2026 speech, Khanna accused the DOJ of improperly redacting these “wealthy, powerful men” from Jeffrey Epstein’s files, violating transparency laws he helped pass. After a tense review of unredacted documents with Rep. Thomas Massie, Khanna revealed Wexner was explicitly labeled a “co-conspirator” in a 2019 FBI memo—despite no charges ever filed. Bin Sulayem, whose emails with Epstein raised red flags, resigned amid the fallout. The DOJ later clarified four names appeared in unrelated photo lineups with no real Epstein ties, but the damage was done: suspicions of elite protection exploded.
Why shield these connections while millions of pages remain partially blacked out? Victims’ advocates demand answers, and Khanna vows to dig deeper.
The full story—and what else lurks in those files—could shatter more reputations.
The hushed tension in the U.S. House chamber was palpable on February 10, 2026, as Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) approached the podium. With a firm, unyielding voice, the California Democrat read into the Congressional Record the names the Department of Justice had fiercely guarded through redactions in the Jeffrey Epstein files: Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov (sometimes spelled Leonid), Nicola Caputo, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem—the influential chairman and CEO of Dubai-based DP World—and Leslie Wexner, the billionaire retail magnate who built Victoria’s Secret into an empire.
Khanna, co-author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act alongside Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), had just spent hours reviewing unredacted documents at the DOJ the day prior. What they uncovered prompted immediate demands for accountability. Khanna accused the department of improperly blacking out these “wealthy, powerful men” in violation of the law he helped enact, which mandated broad public release of Epstein-related records with narrow exceptions.
Leslie Wexner’s name carried particular weight. Long known for his close financial relationship with Epstein—who managed Wexner’s vast fortune and derived significant wealth from it—a 2019 FBI internal memo explicitly labeled Wexner a potential “co-conspirator” in child sex trafficking allegations. No charges were ever brought against him, and Wexner has denied wrongdoing, but the unredacted reference reignited scrutiny over his role in Epstein’s network.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem’s inclusion proved explosive on the international stage. Files showed he exchanged thousands of emails with Epstein over years, including some referencing disturbing content like a “torture video.” The revelations triggered swift fallout: bin Sulayem resigned abruptly from his leadership roles at DP World on February 13, 2026, with the company citing the mounting pressure and naming replacements. The exit marked a stunning downfall for one of the UAE’s most prominent business figures.
The other four names—Nuara, Mikeladze, Leonov, and Caputo—sparked confusion and clarification. The DOJ quickly stated they appeared solely in a New York photo lineup unrelated to Epstein’s crimes, likely as part of investigative comparisons (several resembled Epstein physically), with no substantive ties to him or wrongdoing. Some of the men, ordinary New Yorkers, expressed shock at being publicly labeled “powerful” accomplices.
Khanna’s dramatic disclosure highlighted deeper issues: despite millions of pages released under the Transparency Act, significant redactions persisted, with Khanna estimating 70-80% of viewed materials still obscured. He questioned why such shielding occurred “for no apparent reason” and vowed continued oversight, warning that if six names surfaced in mere hours of review, far more elite connections might lurk in the sealed volumes.
Victims’ advocates hailed the moment as a step toward truth, but frustration lingered—full transparency remained elusive. Wexner’s financial entanglements, bin Sulayem’s rapid resignation, and the mystery of the others fueled demands: How many more powerful figures are still protected? The Epstein saga, far from closed, continues to unravel, with reputations hanging in the balance and justice for survivors hanging on what emerges next from those guarded files.
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