WASHINGTON, D.C. — A foreign hacker accessed files related to the FBI’s investigation into financier Jeffrey Epstein during a 2023 breach at the bureau’s New York Field Office, according to newly reviewed Justice Department documents and a source familiar with the incident.
The cyber intrusion occurred on Feb. 12, 2023, after a server at the FBI’s Child Exploitation Forensic Lab was left vulnerable while an agent attempted to manage digital evidence. The breach was discovered the following day when a text file appeared on the agent’s computer warning that the network had been compromised.
Investigators later found signs that the hacker had searched through files connected to the Epstein investigation. Officials have not confirmed whether any of the data was downloaded or shared.
The FBI described the event as an isolated “cyber incident” and said the malicious actor’s access was quickly restricted. The agency added that its investigation into the breach remains ongoing.
Experts say the incident highlights the potential intelligence value of Epstein-related files, which contain references to prominent figures in politics, finance, and academia. Analysts note that such material could be attractive to foreign intelligence services seeking compromising information.
Epstein, a financier who pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving a minor in 2008, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
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