DOJ reopens Epstein review as pressure grows over claims of missing Trump-related records
WASHINGTON, DC: The US Department of Justice said that it would review whether several documents connected to the Jeffrey Epstein files were not released as required, following media reports that records involving accusations against President Donald Trump were missing from a recent document tranche.
The review follows claims that roughly 50 pages of FBI interview records tied to a woman who accused Trump of alleged misconduct were not made public, despite serial numbers indicating they exist.
Allegations and missing records related to Trump
According to the reports, the woman’s allegations were cataloged in the Epstein materials, but only documents relating to her accusations against Epstein were released publicly.
Serial numbers in the files indicate the woman spoke with the FBI on four occasions, yet records from those interviews were not included in the published documents.
The White House has denied any wrongdoing by Trump. The Justice Department had previously dismissed the claims as lacking credibility and defended its handling of the Epstein document release.
DOJ says it is reviewing files after reports
In a statement on Wednesday, however, the department acknowledged the controversy, noting that “several individuals and news outlets” had raised concerns about documents produced during discovery in the criminal case of Ghislaine Maxwell.
“As with all documents that have been flagged by the public, the Department is currently reviewing files within that category,” DOJ said, adding that any improperly tagged records would be released if required by law.
Democrats signal parallel investigation
Congressional Democrats said the explanation has only deepened their concerns.
Rep Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said he reviewed unredacted evidence logs at the DOJ and concluded that FBI interviews with the survivor were likely withheld illegally.
“Oversight Democrats will open a parallel investigation into this,” Garcia said.
In a separate response, DOJ insisted that no records were deleted, saying all responsive documents were produced unless they were duplicates, privileged, or part of an ongoing investigation.
That assertion prompted a sharp rebuttal from Oversight Democrats, who questioned whether interviews with a survivor reasonably fall into those categories and whether DOJ was implying an active federal investigation into the president.
The review now places renewed pressure on the department to clarify its handling of one of the most politically sensitive document releases in recent years.
