Journalism of Courage
Epstein documents expose elite links, leave Donald Trump out
The Justice Department said it would publish more documents gradually as reviews continue.
December 21, 2025 05:47 AM IST
First published on: Dec 21, 2025 at 05:47 AM IST
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President Donald Trump holds a cell phone with a call to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as he departs on Air Force One at Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Elm City, N.C. (Photo: AP)
Thousands of documents released by the US Justice Department on Friday related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contain the names of many well-known figures, including former US President Bill Clinton. However, there are only limited references to President Donald Trump.
The department released only part of the material it holds, with large sections blacked out. Officials said the redactions were needed to protect victims and because reviewing the documents would take time.
Why the files were released
The release followed a law passed by Congress in November that ordered the Justice Department to make public all Epstein-related records. The Trump administration had resisted releasing the files for months but was forced to comply after an overwhelming bipartisan vote.
The Justice Department said it would publish more documents gradually as reviews continue.
Trump references limited
The absence of material mentioning Trump stood out, as his name has appeared in earlier Epstein disclosures. For example, Trump was listed on flight logs released by the department in February.
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Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing and has said he did not know about Epstein’s crimes.
One file containing a photo of Trump appeared to have been removed from the Justice Department’s website on Saturday. Democrats in the House of Representatives said they noticed the missing document and demanded an explanation.
Later on Saturday, more than a dozen other files were also no longer visible online, according to NPR and the Associated Press (AP). The Justice Department and the White House did not respond to Reuters queries about the missing material.
Clinton and other public figures
The release included several photos of Bill Clinton, along with images of celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Richard Branson and Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York. None of them have been accused of wrongdoing linked to Epstein.
Prince Andrew, the former Duke of York, also appeared in one photo. He has denied any wrongdoing and lost his royal titles due to his association with Epstein.
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Heavy redactions criticised
Many documents were heavily redacted, with some long files completely blacked out. The Justice Department said it is still reviewing hundreds of thousands of pages.
One of Epstein’s victims, Marina Lacerda, criticised the release.
“All of us are infuriated by this. It’s another slap in the face. We expected way more,” she told MS NOW.
Political reaction
Democrats said the release was incomplete and accused the administration of focusing attention on Clinton to deflect scrutiny.
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Angel Ureña, Clinton’s former deputy chief of staff, said in a statement that the White House was trying to protect itself. “They can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton,” he said.
The White House said the release showed its commitment to transparency and justice for Epstein’s victims. However, Democrats noted that the disclosures happened only because Congress forced the administration to act.
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