Journalism of Courage
At least 16 files linked to Jeffrey Epstein disappeared from the US Justice Department’s public website less than a day after they were published, including a file containing a photograph of US President Donald Trump.
The missing files were available on Friday but could no longer be accessed by Saturday. The Justice Department did not explain why the files were removed and did not issue a public notice about the change.
A spokesperson for the department did not respond to requests for comment, according to AP.
Among the missing material were images of paintings showing nude women and a photograph showing several pictures placed on a credenza and inside drawers. One image inside a drawer showed Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee drew attention to the missing files in a post on X.
“What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public,” the committee wrote, according to AP.
The unexplained removal added to public questions around Epstein and the powerful people linked to him.
The disappearance of the files came as criticism was already growing over the Justice Department’s release of Epstein-related records
While tens of thousands of pages were made public, the documents offered little new information about Epstein’s crimes or the decisions that allowed him to avoid federal charges for years.
Key records were missing, including FBI interviews with victims and internal Justice Department memos discussing charging decisions.
The documents were released under a law passed by Congress requiring the Justice Department to disclose its Epstein files. However, many expected materials were not included.
Some new details did emerge. Among them was a previously unseen 1996 complaint accusing Epstein of stealing photographs of children, and records showing that prosecutors considered but later dropped a federal investigation in the 2000s.
The files released so far include many photos of Epstein’s homes in New York and the US Virgin Islands, along with images of celebrities and politicians. There were several previously unseen photos of former President Bill Clinton, but only limited material linked to Trump.
Neither Trump nor Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein, and both have distanced themselves from him.
Many documents were heavily redacted or lacked context. A 119-page document linked to a New York grand jury investigation was entirely blacked out.
The Justice Department said it plans to release more records over time, citing the need to protect victims’ identities. It has not said when further documents will be published.
The slow and partial release has angered some Epstein accusers. “I feel like again the DOJ, the justice system is failing us,” said Marina Lacerda, who has alleged Epstein abused her when she was a teenager, according to AP.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges but died in jail before trial. His death was ruled a suicide.
Federal prosecutors have said they hold millions of pages of records linked to Epstein and Maxwell, many of which have yet to be made public.
