Jmail transforms Epstein email files into searchable Gmail-like interface
Developers Riley Walz and Luke Igel created Jmail, a Gmail clone allowing users to search through Jeffrey Epstein emails released by Congress and the Department of Justice.
December 23, 2025 - 11:14 AM ET • 2 min read
A new tool called Jmail has made searching through Jeffrey Epstein's emails significantly easier by presenting them in a familiar Gmail-like interface. The project, created by technologists Riley Walz and Luke Igel, launched in November following the House Oversight Committee's release of Epstein's correspondence.
The original email dump presented a significant usability challenge. The files were released as hundreds of individual text files, scanned PDFs, and images, making them difficult to parse and search through. Igel, a 26-year-old software engineer and tech CEO based in San Francisco, recognized the problem while reviewing the documents with friends. He found the PDFs hard to read and contextualize, prompting him to collaborate with Walz on a solution.
Jmail recreates Epstein's email inbox as it would appear in an actual Gmail account, complete with messages sorted from most recent backward to the eve of Epstein's 2019 arrest for sex trafficking of minors. The interface includes a working search feature that allows users to navigate the correspondence more intuitively than the original government release. The website displays a simulated login reading "You're logged in as Jeffrey Epstein."
Walz, described as a "prankster" and known for previous viral data projects, partnered with Igel on the effort. In September, Walz had scraped government data to create a real-time location-tracking interface. The two developers transformed the tedious process of sifting through Epstein's inbox into something resembling the familiar experience of checking personal email.
The Department of Justice released additional Epstein files on December 19, 2025. While the government's Epstein Library technically fulfilled legal obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, observers noted the user experience fell short. Jmail's database was updated over the weekend to incorporate the latest release, expanding its searchable content.
The emails have generated significant public interest and media attention. Revelations from the correspondence led to job losses, including the resignation of OpenAI board member Larry Summers, and sparked multiple congressional investigations. The files have been discussed extensively on programs including Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show.
Beyond Epstein's own emails, Jmail includes correspondence from individuals who communicated with him, including figures such as Noam Chomsky, Steve Bannon, and Ken Starr. The tool presents the entire collection through a Google Workspace-like interface that includes not only emails but also images, videos, flight records, and an audio player, representing an expansion from earlier versions that focused solely on email correspondence.