Imagine the fury boiling over as powerful elites stayed hidden behind black ink for years—while Epstein’s victims waited for any scrap of truth—only for Congress to rip away the veil and expose six “big shots” the DOJ had wrongly redacted.
In a stunning House floor revelation, Rep. Ro Khanna named the six: Victoria’s Secret billionaire Les Wexner, shockingly labeled an FBI “co-conspirator” in a 2019 document; Dubai ports tycoon Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, caught in explosive emails with Epstein—including one praising a “torture video”—plus four others: Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, and Nicola Caputo.
The DOJ, slammed for shielding the influential, quickly unredacted the names after bipartisan pressure, fueling demands for why these ties lingered in shadows and what else remains buried.
With Wexner denying wrongdoing and bin Sulayem ousted from his role amid the fallout, the questions multiply: Who else knew, and for how long?
The fury is palpable and justified: for far too long, the powerful appeared shielded by layers of black ink in the Jeffrey Epstein files, while survivors endured agonizing waits for fragments of truth and accountability. Then came the bipartisan thunderclap—Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), architects of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, reviewed unredacted documents at the Department of Justice in early February 2026. They discovered redactions that seemed unjustified, including the identities of six “wealthy, powerful men” hidden without clear reason under the law they helped pass, which demanded broad release with narrow exceptions (mainly for victim protection).
On February 10, 2026, Rep. Khanna took to the House floor in a dramatic session—captured on C-SPAN—and read the names into the Congressional Record: Leslie Wexner (billionaire founder of L Brands, including Victoria’s Secret), Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem (then-CEO of Dubai-based DP World), and four others—Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, and Nicola Caputo.
The revelations hit hardest around Wexner and bin Sulayem. A 2019 FBI internal memo from the Criminal Investigative Division (dated August 15, 2019) explicitly labeled Wexner a “co-conspirator” in Epstein’s activities, alongside known figures like Ghislaine Maxwell, Lesley Groff, and Jean-Luc Brunel. Wexner’s long-documented financial and personal ties to Epstein—Epstein managed his wealth, received power of attorney, and acquired properties from him—were already public, yet his name had been redacted in this specific document. Wexner’s representatives have insisted he was never a target or co-conspirator, cooperated fully in 2019, and was viewed only as an information source by prosecutors—no charges followed.
Bin Sulayem’s exposure proved even more immediately consequential. Unredacted emails showed extensive correspondence with Epstein spanning years, including business discussions, references to women, and a notorious 2009 message where Epstein wrote to bin Sulayem, “I loved the torture video”—the recipient’s identity previously blacked out. The context of the “torture video” remains unclear and unelaborated in public reports, but its mention fueled intense scrutiny. Amid the fallout, bin Sulayem resigned from his high-profile role at DP World shortly after the names surfaced.
The other four—Nuara, Mikeladze, Leonov, and Caputo—appear far less connected. Reports, including follow-ups from Khanna himself, indicate they surfaced in a photo lineup or unrelated list with no apparent ties to Epstein’s crimes. The DOJ later described some as “completely random” inclusions, and Khanna acknowledged the redactions created unnecessary confusion for potentially innocent individuals while shielding more influential figures.
The pressure worked swiftly: After Massie highlighted specific documents on social media and both lawmakers threatened further disclosure, the DOJ partially unredacted the files, reposting versions without those blackouts. Deputy AG Todd Blanche defended prior redactions (citing victim names elsewhere in documents) but affirmed Wexner’s name appeared “thousands of times” unredacted elsewhere, insisting no cover-up existed.
Yet the episode amplified outrage over inconsistencies. Why redact Wexner in one FBI memo when his Epstein links were no secret? Why obscure bin Sulayem’s emails? And why allow blanket redactions that sometimes protected the elite while victim details occasionally leaked? Khanna and Massie blasted the handling as sloppy or worse, noting 70-80% of files remained heavily redacted despite the law. They pointed to systemic issues, including claims that prior administrations (including aspects under Trump) had scrubbed or delayed releases.
With Wexner denying any wrongdoing and bin Sulayem ousted amid reputational damage, the questions burn brighter: Who else lurks in the still-shadowed portions? What other communications, memos, or “co-conspirator” labels remain buried? How deep did knowledge of Epstein’s network run among the powerful—and for how long was it tolerated or ignored?
This breakthrough, driven by rare cross-aisle persistence, has peeled back more layers—but the Epstein saga underscores a painful truth: transparency remains incomplete, justice for survivors elusive, and accountability for the influential frustratingly slow. Until every defensible redaction vanishes and full light floods the records, the demand for answers will only grow louder. The victims—and the public—deserve no less.
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