DOJ Says 47,635 Epstein Files Were Removed From Public Access – Including Trump Allegations
The Department of Justice has acknowledged that 47,635 files tied to Jeffrey Epstein investigations were removed from public access, including documents referencing unverified allegations involving President Donald Trump.
The missing files were part of a massive document release mandated under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the DOJ to publish millions of pages connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender. While the initial release reportedly included more than 3 million pages, that number has since dropped to about 2.7 million pages, according to analysis by CBS News and The Wall Street Journal.
A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed that 47,635 files were taken offline for additional review, saying they are expected to be restored once proper redactions are completed.
“47,635 files were offline for further review and should be ready for re-production by the end of the week,” DOJ spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said.
According to the department, the review process is focused on removing personally identifiable information, protecting victims, and redacting sexual images before the documents are republished.
“Our team is working around the clock to address victim concerns, redact personally identifiable information and any images of a sexual nature,” Baldassarre said. “All responsive documents will be repopulated online once proper redactions are made.”
Some of the withheld files reportedly include materials connected to unverified allegations involving Trump, according to earlier reporting by The Independent. Those records include summaries of FBI interviews with a woman who came forward after Epstein’s 2019 arrest, claiming she was assaulted by Epstein and Trump decades earlier when she was a minor.
The Justice Department has previously said the allegations against Trump in those documents are “unfounded and false.”
In a statement issued in January, the department said some materials contain “untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said some files were withheld because they were duplicates, part of ongoing investigations, contained child sexual abuse material, or included identifying information about survivors.
The disappearance of tens of thousands of files has already sparked scrutiny in Congress. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are launching an aggressive oversight effort.
“We’re going to pull on every thread,” Schumer said during a February press briefing. “We’re going to chase every lead. We’ll talk with whistleblowers.”
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has said he cut ties with Epstein years before the financier was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
The president has also dismissed efforts to scrutinize the Epstein documents as politically motivated and has sued The Wall Street Journal over a report about an alleged letter sent to Epstein, calling the story “false, malicious and defamatory.”
Under legislation signed into law last November, the Justice Department was ordered to release all documents connected to Epstein investigations by December 19.
Trump’s name appears thousands of times within the Epstein-related records, largely because the two socialized during the 1990s and early 2000s. However, legal experts note that being mentioned in the files does not imply criminal wrongdoing.
