Hidden camera catches DOJ aide lured by dating app

[Surrealistik]

https://www.axios.com/2025/09/04/epstein-files-ghislaine-maxwell-doj-chief

Paywall bypass: https://archive.ph/RlJBD#selection-351.0-351.50

The acting deputy chief of a Justice Department unit said on hidden camera that the government will "redact every Republican" from an Epstein client list. He later admitted he was basing his comments on media reports.

Why it matters: The O'Keefe Media Group, a far-right media organization, secretly recorded Joseph Schnitt's comments and published them on Thursday.

In a statement addressed to the DOJ's acting director, Schnitt said he had no idea he was being recorded on video and that he met the O'Keefe reporter — who he said was pretending to be an au pair — on the dating app Hinge.

• Schnitt said: "The comments I made were my own personal comments on what l've learned in the media and not from anything I've done at or learned via work."

The intrigue: James O'Keefe, the founder of O'Keefe Media Group, is also behind the far-right Veritas Project, which is known for recording undercover videos of Democrats.

• Schnitt did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

In effect, the deputy chief confirms what everyone who isn't a partisan wingnut (and even a good chunk of those) has suspected: Trump's DOJ plans to do its utmost best to release the details of the Epstein files in a way that is one sided, partisan and implicates no Republicans while outing Democrats despite the former's evident presence there.

The full video is here:



O'Keefe around 3:40 hilariously tries to finger Joseph Schnitt as having a 'Democrat lean'... which makes zero sense outside of the notion that he leans Democrat for admitting to as much (despite doing so in confidence on a supposed date, without any notion he is being recorded), though I suspect it's really more about Keefe wanting to have his cake and eat it too. In otherwords, wanting the clout that comes with publishing his admittedly huge scoop without also doing substantial damage to the Republicans, his home team, by ridiculously blaming it on an imagined Democrat smear attempt that both apparently involves the most important parts of the DOJ, despite Trump's purges and appointments, as the deputy isn't doing this alone, and gambles on the notion that the public will conclude and focus on Republican censorship rather than putting the fingered Democrats on blast when this information is published.

 

[bythoughts]

Sounds like the O'Keefe Media Group has its own principles. That's a terminal disease for a Republican.

 

[BirdinHand]

Uh oh…we know how MAGAs love O’Keefe.

Will be interesting to see them turn on him now

 

[Surrealistik]

Sounds like the O'Keefe Media Group has its own principles. That's a terminal disease for a Republican.

I did note that O'Keefe ultimately tried to pin this on the Democrats anyways as some kind of absurd and extremely risky 4-d chess; it's a clumsy and braindead attempt, but he did it nonetheless in a half-assed effort to minimize the adverse impact it will have on the Republicans (and probably his own long term audience).

 

[Peacenik]

Is anybody surprised the files got doctored before being released?

That's why it took so long.

 

[Ikari]

Man, MAGAs suck with apps.

lol

But of course they were going to do this, it's not a surprise. MAGAs lie, it's what commies do best.

 

[roberthughey]

https://www.axios.com/2025/09/04/epstein-files-ghislaine-maxwell-doj-chief

Paywall bypass: https://archive.ph/RlJBD#selection-351.0-351.50


In effect, the deputy chief confirms what everyone who isn't a partisan wingnut (and even a good chunk of those) has suspected: Trump's DOJ plans to do its utmost best to release the details of the Epstein files in a way that is one sided, partisan and implicates no Republicans while outing Democrats despite the former's evident presence there.

The full video is here:



O'Keefe around 3:40 hilariously tries to finger Joseph Schnitt as having a 'Democrat lean'... which makes zero sense outside of the notion that he leans Democrat for admitting to as much (despite doing so in confidence on a supposed date, without any notion he is being recorded), though I suspect it's really more about Keefe wanting to have his cake and eat it too. In otherwords, wanting the clout that comes with publishing his admittedly huge scoop without also doing substantial damage to the Republicans, his home team, by ridiculously blaming it on an imagined Democrat smear attempt that both apparently involves the most important parts of the DOJ, despite Trump's purges and appointments, as the deputy isn't doing this alone, and gambles on the notion that the public will conclude and focus on Republican censorship rather than putting the fingered Democrats on blast when this information is published.

Oh the irony of using Project Veritas as a source.

Btw the guy is just an analyst.

 

[Surrealistik]

Oh the irony of using Project Veritas as a source.

Btw the guy is just an analyst.

First of all, Veritas is an alt-right source which hates the left and Democrats and favours the right; in otherwords, it is much more likely to report with a favourable bias with regards to a Republican/right wing scandal, which this is (O'Keefe even goes so far as to personally and unduly brand Schnitt as 'democrat leaning').

Second, he's definitely placed highly enough within the DOJ to speak authoritatively on the matter.

His official response btw:



His excuse that his comments merely reflected what was stated in the media, and not knowledge gained via work is obviously bogus, both because he would absolutely know more than what the media had the receipts for at the time, and because the media was alleging no such thing.

 

[roberthughey]

First of all, Veritas is an alt-right source which hates the left and Democrats and favours the right; in otherwords, it is much more likely to report with a favourable bias with regards to a Republican/right wing scandal, which this is (O'Keefe even goes so far as to personally and unduly brand Schnitt as 'democrat leaning').

Second, he's definitely placed highly enough within the DOJ to speak authoritatively on the matter.

His official response btw:



His excuse that his comments merely reflected what was stated in the media, and not knowledge gained via work is obviously bogus, both because he would absolutely know more than what the media had the receipts for at the time, and because the media was alleging no such thing.

I know who they are and what they do.

The guy has been at the DOJ for 23 years.

Again he's just an analyst.

BTW, you can hide the fact the that names have been redacted. from a document.

 

[Surrealistik]

I know who they are and what they do.

The guy has been at the DOJ for 23 years.

Again he's just an analyst.

BTW, you can hide the fact the that names have been redacted. from a document.

The man is presently the Deputy Chief of the DOJ's special operations unit; again, definitely more than elevated enough to speak from a place of authority on this.

 

[roberthughey]

The man is presently the Deputy Chief of the DOJ's special operations unit; again, definitely more than elevated enough to speak from a place of authority on this.

When the video was made he wasn't.

 

[Surrealistik]

When the video was made he wasn't.

He most certainly was.

But for the sake of argument, even if he wasn't, he is a 27 year veteran deeply embedded in the DOJ that was about to be given leadership; it is, at best, extremely unlikely he was bullshitting.

 

[roberthughey]

He most certainly was.

But for the sake of argument, even if he wasn't, he is a 27 year veteran deeply embedded in the DOJ that was about to be given leadership; it is, at best, extremely unlikely he was bullshitting.

Start at 50 seconds into the video.

23 years at the DOJ and just an analyst.

 

[Surrealistik]

Start at 50 seconds into the video.

23 years at the DOJ and just an analyst.

Okay, so, 23 year vet (27 was a typo, my apologies), who was literally stepping into the leadership role all of a week later tops after the interview? This is splitting hairs.

You do understand how ridiculous it is to be of the opinion that single week makes all the difference in the world regarding his credibility on this issue, right?

The man almost certainly received key briefings on the job he was just about to step into at that point, above and beyond already being adequately situated.

 

[Cope]

and because the media was alleging no such thing.

I found myself following along and then you laid out this steaming pile of dog shit.

Bahaha.

 

[roberthughey]

Okay, so, 23 year vet (27 was a typo, my apologies), who was literally stepping into the leadership role all of a week later tops after the interview? This is splitting hairs.

You do understand how ridiculous it is to be of the opinion that single week makes all the difference in the world regarding his credibility on this issue, right?

The man almost certainly received key briefings on the job he was just about to step into at that point, above and beyond already being adequately situated.

and he's just an analyst no one has ever heard of before.

 

[Surrealistik]

and he's just an analyst no one has ever heard of before.

What's your point? The relevant fact is he clearly was and is in a position for his comments to be authoritative and credible.

I found myself following along and then you laid out this steaming pile of dog shit.

Bahaha.

Social media was at best, which is meaningless, and not really a source of information to be cited; no media outlet worth their spit was alleging a conspiracy theory cover-up that sought to solely redact Republican/conservative names while leaving Democrat/liberal ones exposed as he purports is in progress.

 

[Integrityrespec]

All this bluster from the left. Where was it when the Biden administration had all this information for the past 4 years? Hypocrites!

 

[roberthughey]

What's your point? The relevant fact is he clearly was and is in a position for his comments to be authoritative and credible.


Social media was at best, which is meaningless, and not really a source of information to be cited; no media outlet worth their spit was alleging a conspiracy theory cover-up that sought to solely redact Republican/conservative names while leaving Democrat/liberal ones exposed as he purports is in progress.

No he's not.

That's the point.

 

[Helix]

He just brought everyone covfefe a few times.

 

[Surrealistik]

No he's not.

That's the point.

According to who? You?

Again, the man has 23 years under his belt, and is senior and capable to the point of being ordained to take up the position of deputy chief within a week, who had certainly received briefings on his pending responsibilities at that point, and your opinion is seriously that he was not in a position to comment? Lol.

Very strange and curious hill to die on, and one that isn't well supported by the facts.

 

[Noodlegawd]

https://www.axios.com/2025/09/04/epstein-files-ghislaine-maxwell-doj-chief

Paywall bypass: https://archive.ph/RlJBD#selection-351.0-351.50


In effect, the deputy chief confirms what everyone who isn't a partisan wingnut (and even a good chunk of those) has suspected: Trump's DOJ plans to do its utmost best to release the details of the Epstein files in a way that is one sided, partisan and implicates no Republicans while outing Democrats despite the former's evident presence there.

The full video is here:



O'Keefe around 3:40 hilariously tries to finger Joseph Schnitt as having a 'Democrat lean'... which makes zero sense outside of the notion that he leans Democrat for admitting to as much (despite doing so in confidence on a supposed date, without any notion he is being recorded), though I suspect it's really more about Keefe wanting to have his cake and eat it too. In otherwords, wanting the clout that comes with publishing his admittedly huge scoop without also doing substantial damage to the Republicans, his home team, by ridiculously blaming it on an imagined Democrat smear attempt that both apparently involves the most important parts of the DOJ, despite Trump's purges and appointments, as the deputy isn't doing this alone, and gambles on the notion that the public will conclude and focus on Republican censorship rather than putting the fingered Democrats on blast when this information is published.

Hey, you dummies demanded that he release the files, even after the Biden administration held on to them for 4 years without a peep out of you.

Now it's time to reap what you sow. It's really bizarre when biased hypocrites complain about other people being biased hypocrites.

 

[roberthughey]

According to who? You?

Again, the man has 23 years under his belt, and is senior and capable to the point of being ordained to take up the position of deputy chief within a week, who had certainly received briefings on his pending responsibilities at that point, and your opinion is seriously that he was not in a position to comment? Lol.

Very strange and curious hill to die on, and one that isn't well supported by the facts.

According the Schnitt.

He says he's just an analyst at the time of the video.

 

[Sidd Finch]

All this bluster from the left. Where was it when the Biden administration had all this information for the past 4 years? Hypocrites!

Yeah. Why is the Trump administration acting just like the Biden administration?

 

[Surrealistik]

According the Schnitt.

He says he's just an analyst at the time of the video.

Being an analyst does not at all mean he isn't situated to accurately and authoritatively make the assertions he did, especially when he's clearly in a high position with 23 years under his belt and is about to assume the reins of deputy chief.