Epstein files: Unanswered questions as DOJ refutes letter to child predator Larry Nassar

(FOX 2) - Hours after a letter that was released in its latest document dump that included correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and Larry Nassar, the Department of Justice (DOJ) walked back its authenticity in a post on social media claiming it was a fake, citing the FBI. 

However, the FBI has not announced any such conclusion as of Tuesday night.

Big picture view:

Knowledge of the letter Jeffrey Epstein allegedly penned to Larry Nassar is not new. In 2019, it was "returned to sender" at the prison where Epstein was held, because of a wrong address.

The document was examined by prison staff and a chain of custody documents released by the Bureau of Prisons shows the document was received at that prison, on the specific date and time in question, and was found in the mail room.

Timeline:

In the wake of Epstein's death behind bars, the feds were careful to catalog every record and document, so the letter was held as evidence in July 2020. 

The FBI requested a handwriting sample done, though it was unclear if that was ever what happened.

Fast-forward to Dec. 23, 2025, the DOJ posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, allegedly debunking the letter's authenticity, citing the FBI and three bullet points.

It stated that the writing does not appear to match Epstein’s, and the letter was postmarked after his death, and from Virginia, not New York, where he was being held. Finally, the return address was not listed, which is required for outgoing prison mail.

The DOJ cited the FBI for this conclusion, so, of course, FOX 2 went straight to the FBI to find out what steps the bureau took to determine authenticity, but a spokesperson referred us to the DOJ, with nothing additional to provide, and on Tuesday, no handwriting analysis has been released.

The FBI has not posted anything on any of their social media channels supporting the DOJ's claim.

What they're saying:

The back-and-forth brought emotional whiplash for Nassar survivors like Grace French.

"The back and forth is so destabilizing and each new update is I have to feel like I reengage emotionally," French said. "Whether or not it is valid or real, the circulation of something like that does reopen the trauma, and it’s graphic and dehumanizing. The harm doesn’t just disappear just because the document is questioned, because our nervous systems have reacted to the fact it may or may not exist."

The DOJ also said, on X, about their own department, that just because it is released does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual.

Dig deeper:

Other files allegedly relating to Epstein's correspondence with Nassar were an envelope sent from the dead financier to the imprisoned doctor and a request for a handwriting analysis of the letter that was sent to the Metropolitican Correctional Center.

"FBI New York requests the Laboratory perform a handwriting analysis comparing the letter received from MCC and the handwriting of Jeffrey Epstein to conclude if the individual who wrote the letter was Epstein or another unknown person. Handwriting samples from Jeffrey Epstein's cell at MCC will be submitted along with the letter in question (in IA envelope 1A65)

Zoom out:

While Trump's name has appeared in the files several times, he has not been accused of a crime. 

In a message from the U.S. Department of Justice, it said some of the documents "contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election."