The U.S. Department of Justice has sent Congress a list of “politically exposed” individuals named in millions of pages of documents related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The list, included in a six-page letter obtained by CNN and signed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, is available on the Web at www.cnn.com.
The names were included out of context and without clarifying the extent of their connection or contact with Epstein, according to the document. The letter was sent to the heads of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress. 
The list includes prominent political, cultural and economic figures. However, authorities emphasize that no one other than Epstein himself and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell has been criminally charged in connection with the crimes under investigation. 
The release of the list has sparked strong reactions among US lawmakers. Representative Ro Khanna, one of the authors of the law that forced the release of the documents, has accused the Justice Department of "deliberately muddying the waters" by failing to distinguish between suspects and those merely mentioned in documents or emails. Meanwhile, Republican Representative Nancy Mace has claimed that the released list has names missing. 
As in previous correspondence with Congress, the Justice Department has justified the extensive redactions in the documents with the need to protect internal investigative processes, legally protected communications, and the privacy of victims. 
The release of these documents is expected to keep the political debate in the United States heated, as lawmakers seek more clarity on how the names on the list were selected and presented.
