In 1999, Jeffrey Epstein anonymously FOIA'd the CIA to obtain all CIA records "that might reflect an open or otherwise…

In 1999, Jeffrey Epstein anonymously FOIA'd the CIA to obtain all CIA records "that might reflect an open or otherwise acknowledged Agency affiliation" between himself and the CIA. In 2011, he wrote again to see if CIA had acknowledged any links with him in the 12 years since 🧵

2) By using a lawyer to go through the Privacy Act, this ensured the public couldn't know Jeffrey Epstein was the requester of the CIA records about himself, and all correspondence would remain between the CIA and Epstein's law firm.

3) First, I must point out this is an exceptionally interesting file in part because it is actionable. It discloses two CIA file reference numbers, Epstein's 1999 request for CIA records about himself (P-1999-02450) and Epstein's later 2011 request (P-2011-00673)

4) I've looked for hours for the underlying request letter Epstein's lawyer sent the CIA, which the CIA responds to. I can't find it anywhere (maybe someone else can). Likewise, I don't see even a redacted copy of the P-1999-02450 CIA FOIA correspondence in the CIA Reading Room

5) Epstein's 1999 CIA FOIA correspondence never having been approved for release (even in a redacted form) is interesting, as it's been more than 25 years. I'm attaching screenshots of CIA FOIA correspondence in CIA Reading Room that were approved for release in between 1-9 years

6) CIA FOIA correspondence to outside lawyers about a FOIA request are not classified. Where personal identification is sensitive, the CIA Reading Room is replete with uploads that have the file reference number, and the correspondence, but with the name of requester redacted

7) Ordinarily, the CIA has to automatically declassify (or deny after affirmative review) records after 25 years. But CIA FOIA records are not subject to this because they're not classified. Rather, the CIA uploads based on frequency of request for a FOIA reference file's upload

8) In theory, anyone right now could just FOIA the CIA for all records & correspondence related to reference numbers P-1999-02450 & P-2011-00673. In theory, the CIA would have to turn those Epstein files over immediately. We know the files exist. We know they're not classified.

9) The reason Epstein's FOIA comms with CIA are important to get now is because it's hard, from this new DOJ drop, to deduce exactly what Epstein asked for, exactly what the CIA looked for, and exactly what part of the request triggered the CIA to issue a GLOMAR for part of it.

10) For the record, I don't want to send this FOIA request because I don't want to get killed.

11) But you definitely should. Now let me break down for you why ➡️

12) First, it'd be huge to know what exact CIA records Epstein requested about himself in 1999, and what year he set the look-back date to. We know Epstein had a fake Saudi passport by 1982. I've long made the case Epstein was CIA-adjacent by 1978-1979

Mike Benz@MikeBenzCyber · Dec 20, 2025

This is it. The key to Epstein: Bear Stearns put him on BCCI trades in 1979, as it made millions helping the CIA, Brits, Saudis & Israelis disguise covert cash by clearing $13 billion with BCCI, a CIA money laundering bank. Epstein simply developed that clientele & career niche.

13) Second, we can't currently tell exactly what records Epstein requested about himself in 2011 because the CIA response to him in 2011 shows they simply re-ran the same request Epstein sent them in 1999, and updated their records search through 2011.

14) Third, given Epstein's CIA adjacency by the late 1970s & throughout the 80s, it's quite possible Epstein originally FOIA'd the CIA for records about himself in the 1980s, and his 1999 FOIA simply re-ran his earlier 1980s request. In that case, we'd (you'd) get all that info.

15) Fourth, the fact the CIA gave a partial response ("no open or acknowledged Agency affiliation") and partial GLOMAR means the exact text of what Epstein requested could both (1) finally confirm whether the CIA is hiding classified Epstein docs & (2) hint at what's classified.

16) One reading is Epstein repeatedly FOIA'd the CIA to keep checking if they'd publicly disclosed any links with him, so he could decide what he could credibly tell his colleagues going forward & know what info might be easily discoverable by foreign counterintelligence organs

17) Importantly, Epstein was not a widely known figure at all in 1999. He only came into public awareness in 2001-2002, when the public became curious who was flying Bill Clinton around Africa. So Epstein checked if any CIA connections were public before he himself went public.

18) That puts the 2001 news report that Epstein "once claimed to have worked for the CIA, though he now denies it" in a new light. It suggests Epstein may have bragged about his CIA role in the 90s, then saw it as a liability, then felt confident to deny it after his 1999 FOIA.

19) But it gets better. The fact the CIA searched for any "open or acknowledged Agency affiliation" does *not* mean that's what Jeffrey Epstein asked for. This paragraph only says the CIA has no open or acknowledged records on him. He could have asked a very different question.

20) As it turns out, the CIA saying it has no records that would reveal any "open or acknowledged Agency affiliation" followed by a GLOMAR denying both the existence and nonexistence of classified records is a stock CIA reply... when you FOIA the CIA for a CIA personnel file.

21) Which leads to the big question: Did Jeffrey Epstein, in 1999, years before he became a public figure, directly ask the CIA to see his own personnel file?

22) As I stared at this part of the CIA's response to Epstein's lawyers, I asked myself: "Why would a billionaire's highly paid lawyer do something so stupid as to directly ask the CIA for classified info in a FOIA? Of course you can't. Everyone knows the CIA's not allowed."

23) Remember, the CIA issued a DENIAL of some REQUEST. What kind of $2,000 / hour hotshot law firm partner would be so clueless and so incompetent that he'd REQUEST classified documents from the CIA in a FOIA?

24) And then it hit me. Epstein's lawyers didn't *ask* for classified records about Epstein. They asked for *something else* about Epstein, and whatever that was, it touched on something classified.

25) Now, the question is, what brave soul will FOIA the CIA for all records and correspondence pertaining to reference file numbers P-1999-02450 and P-2011-00673?