Representative Ro Khanna this week read six names on the House floor, describing them as “wealthy, powerful men that the DoJ hid” in recently released Jeffrey Epstein files. However, after inquiries from the Guardian, the Department of Justice clarified that four of the named individuals have no apparent connection to Epstein whatsoever, but instead appeared in a photo lineup assembled years ago by the southern district of New York for investigative purposes. “Rep Ro Khanna and Rep Thomas Massie forced the unmasking of completely random people selected years ago for an FBI lineup – men and women. These individuals have NOTHING to do with Epstein or Maxwell,” a spokesperson from the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told the Guardian.
The Guardian spoke with two of the men whose names Khanna read on the floor, both of whom strongly denied knowing Epstein. Salvatore Nuarte, of Queens, said he called Khanna’s office after learning his name was mentioned in connection to the disgraced financier. “I don’t know if they know what they are doing over there at the justice department,” Nuarte told the Guardian. “But how can I clear my name?” Leonid Leonov, an IT manager in Queens whose name was incorrectly listed as Leonic Leonov in the files, vigorously denied any connection. “I don’t even have a second or third degree connection to him. Never worked for him, nothing,” he said. Both men acknowledged they were arrested by the NYPD in the past for unrelated crimes, which could explain how their photos ended up in a law enforcement photo array.
When contacted for comment, Khanna posted on X that “I wish DoJ had provided that explanation earlier instead of redacting then unredacting their names. They have failed to protect survivors, created confusion for innocent men, and have protected rich and powerful abusers.” A spokesperson for Khanna’s office shared an email sent to Nuarte stating, “The Department of Justice has not been transparent in what the list was or why they redacted and unredacted your name. We will make sure to be absolutely factual and truthful once we have these facts.” Analysis of the document shows it contains a diverse cross-section of people with ties to New York City, many with misdemeanor arrests, with five women resembling Ghislaine Maxwell and five men sharing characteristics with Epstein.