Missing Epstein files on DOJ site prompt transparency concerns after mass release
Democrats press for explanation as the department confirms a large-scale data dump of unclassified records but offers no immediate comment on vanished files
More than a dozen Epstein-related files disappeared from the Justice Department's website the day after the agency posted a vast trove of unclassified documents and photos tied to Jeffrey Epstein, according to multiple reports. The removals affected at least 16 files out of thousands available online, with no official explanation from the government. The episode has drawn criticism from Democrats on Capitol Hill who said the public deserves transparency about any potential gaps in released materials.
The DOJ's weekend release followed a bipartisan law signed by former President Trump that mandated the agency turn over unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials related to Epstein. The department has said the release of hundreds of thousands of documents was ongoing and that more records would be made public over time.
The newly released materials show Epstein alongside a broad array of high-profile figures and celebrities, including former President Bill Clinton, Pope Benedict XVI, Prince Andrew, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, among others, with Maxwell appearing in thousands of photos in the trove. The documents also include images of a desk with multiple framed photos and other items, which lawmakers cited as among the content visible in the release.
One image cited by Democrats as file 468 allegedly depicted Trump at an event with Epstein, Maxwell and First Lady Melania Trump. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee posted a screenshot of the missing file on social media and pressed for transparency, saying the absence of an explanation raised questions about what else might be under wraps. The DOJ had no immediate comment when contacted about the report of the missing file and the broader removal of pages.
Public interest in the Epstein case intensified after the FBI and DOJ released a joint memo in July concluding Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail and that there was no evidence of a “client list” of powerful men who accessed his services, countering long-running speculation. Epstein died in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Former President Clinton has been shown in several images released in the dump, though neither he nor Trump has been accused of illegal conduct related to Epstein.
The department has said the rest of the records will be released gradually, under the framework established by law. The trove also includes grand jury records from the decades-old West Palm Beach case, and authorities have stressed that the data remain part of an ongoing, complex investigative process. As investigators proceed, lawmakers are expected to seek additional clarity about how documents are selected for release and how omissions, if any, are handled.
Epstein’s death in 2019 and the long-running public interest in the case have kept questions about the scope of the records and the identities of those linked to Epstein in the spotlight. Officials cautioned that the material is part of a large, evolving disclosure and that subsequent updates may shed new light on the timeline and scope of the release.