Latest news with #JasonLeopold
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
FBI Reportedly Redacted Trump's Name in the Epstein Files
The FBI went through the Epstein files and redacted Donald Trump's name, according to the 'FOIA Files' newsletter by reporter Jason Leopold, published in Bloomberg Friday. It was previously reported (in a July letter to the Justice Department from Dick Durbin, the Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member) that, under Attorney General Pam Bondi's direction, FBI Director Kash Patel ordered around 1,000 FBI personnel to sift through more than 100,000 Epstein-related documents throughout two weeks in March. Working on 24-hour shifts, the staff were reportedly instructed to 'flag' records mentioning Trump, prompting Durbin to ask the DOJ: 'What happened to the records mentioning President Trump once they were flagged?' Leopold reveals that Trump's name was blacked out—as were the names of dozens of other public figures. The files then went before a unit of FOIA officers, and 'Trump's name, along with other high-profile individuals, was blacked out because he was a private citizen when the federal investigation of Epstein was launched in 2006.' The FOIA team reportedly cited an exemption protecting individuals from 'clearly unwarranted invasions[s] of personal privacy' and another protecting 'personal information in law enforcement records.' As Leopold notes, it's not very rare that even prominent public figures' names are redacted from records on privacy grounds. The rest is history: Bondi reportedly notifying Trump that he appears in the files; the DOJ and FBI releasing the case-closed memo; the ensuing (and ongoing) public outcry; the congressional attempts to force the files' release; and, now, speculations that Trump might corruptly wield the pardon power to pressure Ghislaine Maxwell, the currently imprisoned Epstein co-conspirator, to clear his name. The bottom line here, Leopold writes, is that the chances of Trump's name being unredacted anytime soon are slim to none. We can wait for all the people mentioned in the files to die. Or Trump could decide to voluntarily waive his privacy rights, allowing his name to be unredacted, which at present seems very unlikely.
Bloomberg
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Live Q&A: Ask Jason Leopold Anything About FOIA Under Trump
Thank you for joining us! The Trump administration's purge of federal workers has impacted offices inside at least a dozen US government agencies that are responsible for fielding Freedom of Information Act requests. In all, it stands to jeopardize the public's ability to access government documents. What questions do you have for Bloomberg's senior investigative reporter and FOIA expert Jason Leopold? Join his conversation with Edward Ludlow in a Live Q&A on May 9 at 1pm EDT. Bloomberg digital subscribers and Terminal clients are invited to sign in and ask our team questions while it's live. This conversation will be recorded and be made available to listen and share.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SEC Says Game Service Roblox Part of ‘Active Investigation'
(Bloomberg) -- Roblox Corp., the video-game service used by millions of young people, is part of an active investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, according to information obtained by Bloomberg News. Nice Airport, If You Can Get to It: No Subway, No Highway, No Bridge Citadel to Leave Namesake Chicago Tower as Employees Relocate NYC Sees Pedestrian Traffic Increase in Congestion-Pricing Zone How London's Taxi Drivers Navigate the City Without GPS Sin puente y sin metro: el nuevo aeropuerto de Lima es una debacle Responding to a Freedom of Information Act request, the commission said in a letter Friday that it couldn't share correspondence between staffers referencing Roblox, saying it could cause 'harm to the ongoing enforcement proceeding.' 'We have confirmed with Division of Enforcement staff that there are responsive emails between Enforcement staff referencing Roblox and that these emails are a part of an active and ongoing investigation,' the commission said. Bloomberg News couldn't confirm the subject of the investigation. Roblox didn't respond to requests for comment, and the SEC declined to make any additional comment. Hunterbrook Media reported in November that Roblox was under investigation by the SEC, citing Freedom of Information Act requests. Hunterbrook cited an October letter from the commission saying it was withholding documents 'which could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement activities.' Its affiliate, Hunterbrook Capital, had a short position in the shares. In October, the now-defunct short-seller Hindenburg Research published a report on child-safety concerns at Roblox and also alleged that the company had inflated its metrics, including the number of users who regularly play Roblox games and the amount of time they spend on average on the platform. 'We totally reject the claims made in the report,' a Roblox spokesperson said at the time. 'The authors are, admittedly short sellers (and have an agenda irrespective of the substance of Roblox's business model and results).' Hindenburg Research announced it was disbanding in January. Shares of Roblox retreated as much as 4.8% following the Bloomberg News report. They were down 2.4% to $65.53 at 2:33 p.m. in New York. The video-game company has faced scrutiny over children's safety on the platform. Since 2018, At least two dozen people have been arrested by police in the US, accused of abusing or abducting victims they'd met or groomed using Roblox, Bloomberg News reported in July. In 2024, Roblox implemented at least 40 safety changes to its platform, including barring children under age 13 from participating in social chatting games. The San Mateo, California-based company has said safety is its priority. Shares of Roblox fell 11% on Thursday after the company reported slower-than-expected growth in daily users of its service. It reported 85.3 million active users as of year end. --With assistance from Jason Leopold and Nicola M White. (Updates with share decline in ninth paragraph.) Business Schools Confront Trump Immigration Policies Orange Juice Makers Are Desperate for a Comeback Believing in Aliens Derailed This Internet Pioneer's Career. Now He's Facing Prison The Reason Why This Super Bowl Has So Many Conspiracy Theories Inside Elon Musk's Attack on the US Government ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
