Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie named the Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem as the individual Jeffrey Epstein had emailed about a "torture video".
Sulayem is chairman and CEO of DP World, a major global logistics firm based in the UAE. Newsweek has contacted DP World's media office via email for comment.
The emails were released by the Department of Justice in the Epstein files, but one sender's name was redacted. Lawmakers have been able to view the unredacted files.
Epstein sent an email on April 24, 2009, that said: "where are you? are you ok , I loved the torture video"
The recipient's email address and name were redacted.
But Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the recipient was identified in the file EFTA00666117, which names "Sultan Bin Sulayem" while redacting the email address.
The nature of the "torture video" is not known.
They replied a day later to say: "I am in china I will be in the US 2nd week of may"
Sulayem was a friend of Epstein's, and the DOJ documents show that the pair corresponded about sexual experiences.
The Emirati businessman continued a relationship with disgraced financier Epstein for years after the latter's conviction for soliciting an underage prostitute in 2008.
Appearing in the Epstein files is not indicative of criminal wrongdoing.
Massie, who spearheaded the congressional push to secure the full release of the Epstein files, had said of the "torture video" email chain in a post on X: "A Sultan seems to have sent this. DOJ should make this public."
Blanche replied, also on X: "You looked at the document. You know it’s an email address that was redacted. The law requires redactions for personally identifiable information, including if in an email address. And you know that the Sultan’s name is available unredacted in the files. See EFTA00666117. Be honest, and stop grandstanding."
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress in November, the DOJ was ordered to release all of the documents in its possession relating to Epstein, with only limited redactions permitted.
The Department has so far released around 3.5 million files concerning Epstein.
On Monday, Maryland Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, who is the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, said the DOJ has withheld a further “three million documents.”
Raskin was one of several members of Congress granted access to view unredacted copies of the Epstein files at an office in Washington, D.C.
“I went over there and I was able to determine, at least I believe, that there were tons of completely unnecessary redactions in addition to the failure to redact the names of victims,” Raskin told reporters on Monday.
The Democrat added that he and other members of Congress had been given only four computers to review the files, and that he had only been able to see between 30 and 40 on Monday.
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