An NPR investigation reports that the DOJ (Department of Justice) withheld and removed portions of the Epstein files. It included documents tied to allegations that US President Donald Trump sexually abused a minor. The report says some materials were catalogued internally. However, they were never made public, despite a law requiring broad disclosure of the Epstein records.
Justice Department withheld and removed Epstein files
According to NPR, over 50 pages of FBI interview summaries and related notes connected to one accuser are missing from the public database. The woman alleged that Trump abused her decades ago when she was a minor. The FBI interviewed her four times. But only the first interview, which does not mention Trump, appears in the online archive.
The organisation reviewed serial numbers stamped across FBI case files, discovery logs from the Ghislaine Maxwell prosecution, and the Justice Department’s Epstein files. The outlet found dozens of documents that appear in internal records but are not available publicly.
After publication, a DOJ spokeswoman reiterated that any unpublished materials are privileged, duplicative, or tied to an ongoing federal investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote a letter to Congress on February 14. It was first reported by Politico. They wrote that no records were withheld or redacted “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”
The White House pushed back strongly on the allegations. “Just as President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told NPR. “And 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,” Jackson added.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have launched a parallel inquiry into the DOJ’s handling of the records. Rep. Robert Garcia said, “Oversight Democrats can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes.” Newly released FBI files show agents internally circulated allegations mentioning Trump in 2025.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu for Mandatory.
