DOJ Launches Review Into Potential Wrongful Withholding of Trump-Related Epstein Documents
The Department of Justice has initiated a formal review to determine whether it improperly withheld documents containing allegations against former President Donald Trump from the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files. This investigation comes in response to concerns raised about missing FBI interview notes that were supposed to be made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Missing FBI Interview Notes Raise Questions
Last month, the DOJ released millions of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell to comply with congressional legislation. However, Democratic Representative Robert Garcia of California revealed that FBI notes from 2019 interviews with a woman who made allegations against both Epstein and Trump were conspicuously absent from the release.
These documents were also missing from the unredacted collection available for congressional review at the Department of Justice headquarters, according to Representative Garcia's statements to NBC News. The omission has sparked allegations of potential violations of the transparency law passed by Congress in November.
Legal Requirements Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act
The Epstein Files Transparency Act specifically requires the Department of Justice to publicize most documents related to cases against Epstein and Maxwell. The legislation permits withholding only under limited circumstances: if documents are duplicates, protected by attorney-client privilege, could harm ongoing investigations, or are completely unrelated to the Epstein and Maxwell cases.
Critically, the law explicitly prohibits the department from withholding or redacting files simply because they might prove embarrassing to public officials. This provision has become central to the current controversy, as allegations against a former president would certainly qualify as potentially embarrassing material.
Extensive Review Process Preceded Document Release
Before releasing the files, the Department of Justice deployed hundreds of attorneys to review the massive collection of documents. According to the Wall Street Journal, these reviewers received specific instructions on how to redact materials and determine which files needed to be released under the law.
Many of these reviewers reportedly had little prior familiarity with the Epstein case. They were instructed to flag any "government officials and politically exposed persons named or referenced in the released materials." A department spokeswoman stated that "should any document be found to have been improperly tagged in the review process and is responsive to the Act, the department will of course publish it, consistent with the law."
Conflicting Statements from Justice Department Officials
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who oversaw the document release, has previously insisted that the department fully complied with the law. At a January 30 news conference, Blanche stated, "I can assure that we complied with the statute, that we did not protect President Trump. We didn't protect or not protect anybody."
However, a review of the released documents shows that while the DOJ published an FBI summary of the woman's first interview on July 24, 2019, notes from three subsequent interviews conducted on August 7, August 20, and October 16 of that same year were omitted. All four interviews were included on a list of materials provided to Maxwell's defense attorneys in 2021.
Nature of the Allegations and Response
The woman in question claimed she was forced into a sex act with Donald Trump when she was approximately 13 or 14 years old in New Jersey. These allegations were summarized in an FBI presentation last summer that detailed prominent names mentioned in the Epstein and Maxwell cases.
A source familiar with the investigation told NBC News that this survivor is the same person who joined a civil lawsuit against the Epstein estate, claiming he sexually abused her around 1984. That lawsuit alleged Epstein flew her to New York and trafficked her to "prominent wealthy men," though she was later deemed ineligible for the Epstein Victim's Compensation Program and her suit was voluntarily dismissed in 2021.
President Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing regarding Epstein, stating that his friendship with the financier ended before Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008. By the time Epstein was arrested again in 2019, Trump said he hadn't spoken to him in approximately 15 years.
Political Reactions and Calls for Investigation
Representative Garcia, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, issued a statement saying he plans to open an investigation into the missing files. "This is definitely, in my opinion, evidence of a cover-up happening," Garcia told NBC News. "Why are these documents missing? The FBI has clearly investigated and now those documents are gone."
Separately, two House Democrats have asked Deputy Attorney General Blanche to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Attorney General Pam Bondi lied to Congress during her testimony earlier this month. At a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Bondi insisted there is "no evidence" in the Epstein documents showing Trump committed a crime.
Representatives Dan Goldman of New York and Ted Lieu of California pointed to the unsubstantiated claim in the Epstein documents about Trump allegedly forcing himself on a young girl. Lieu had previously accused Bondi of lying to Congress during her testimony, to which Bondi retorted, "Don't you ever accuse me of a crime."
Department of Justice Cautions About Document Content
The Department of Justice had cautioned ahead of the files' release that they might include fake or false materials sent to the FBI from the public. Officials noted that "some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims about President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election."
They added, "To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already."
When asked about the missing files, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told NPR, "Just as President Trump has said, he's been totally exonerated on anything related to Epstein. By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee's subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act and calling for more investigations into Epstein's Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein's victims than anyone before him."
