At least 16 files vanished from the US Justice Department’s public webpage on Jeffrey Epstein documents less than a day after posting, including a photo of President Donald Trump with Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell. There has been no explanation from the government or public notice.
These files, visible on Friday but gone by Saturday, featured striking images like paintings of nude women and a collage of photos pulled from drawers and a credenza. Tucked inside one drawer amid the snapshots sat a picture of Trump standing with Jeffrey Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's close associate, Associated Press reported.
The Justice Department stayed silent on the removals, offering no clue if it was deliberate.
Word spread fast online, igniting fresh speculation about the wipeout and the lack of public notice. It only amplified the endless fascination with Epstein and the elite circles he ran in. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee seized on the Trump photo in an X post, demanding: “What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public.”
This incident piled onto frustrations from the department's big document drop, which spanned tens of thousands of pages but delivered few bombshells on Epstein's crimes or the choices that let him dodge tough federal charges for years. Key pieces stayed absent, like FBI chats with victims and internal memos on prosecution calls.
Gaps Leave Big Questions Unanswered
The initial batch skipped some of the records everyone awaited with FBI interviews with survivors and Justice Department notes dissecting why they pursued charges or didn't missing. Those could have shed light on investigators' thinking and how Epstein snagged that lenient 2008 state prostitution plea.
The holes ran deeper. Congress's new law forced these releases, yet big names tied to Epstein, like Britain’s former Prince Andrew, barely got a mention. It reignited debates: Who got probed? Who slipped by? Do these files really push accountability forward?
However, there were some fresh insights. The DOJ revealed how the Justice Department shelved a 2000s probe, paving Epstein's path to that minor plea. Plus, a never-seen-before 1996 complaint accused him of stealing kids' photos.
There was a series of never-before-seen photos of former President Bill Clinton, but Trump pics were scarce. Both of them have disowned their friendship with Epstein. Photos of Epstein’s lavish pads in New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands, dotted with celeb and pol faces also surfaced.
Congress set a Friday deadline for full release, but the department opted for a staggered rollout. They cited the grind of redacting survivors' names and personal details. There is no word yet on when the next batch of records will be released.