The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has been accused of orchestrating a cover-up after it removed multiple files, including a photograph featuring former President Donald Trump, from the trove of Jeffrey Epstein documents released to the public. Democrats have reacted with fury, demanding transparency and answers.
Files Vanish Without Explanation
On Friday, 19 December 2025, the Justice Department released thousands of pages of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. However, by Saturday, at least 16 files had been taken down from the DOJ's website without any official explanation.
Among the removed material was a file numbered 468, which contained a photograph of Epstein's desk or bureau with its drawers open. Inside one drawer was a picture of a man resembling Donald Trump, wearing a white shirt and standing with a group of women, at least one in a bikini. The women's identities were unknown, and their faces were not redacted.
Behind this image was another, partially obscured photo where the faces of Trump, then-first lady Melania Trump, and Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell were visible. This second image, believed to have been taken at Mar-a-Lago in February 2000 before the Trumps were married, has been widely circulated.
Democrats Cry Foul Over "Active Cover-Up"
The removal sparked immediate condemnation from Democratic lawmakers. The House Oversight Committee's Democrats posted on social media platform X, directly questioning Attorney General Pam Bondi. "This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release," they wrote. "Is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the situation as potentially "one of the biggest cover ups in American history." He linked the action to a recent comment by a Trump advisor that Trump and Epstein were once "young, single playboys together."
Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez of California was equally scathing, calling it an "active cover-up." He stated, "Trump’s DOJ appears to be scrubbing any mentions of Trump from the Epstein files after they were already public. Every deleted file, every redaction after-the-fact is outrageous and unacceptable."
Contradictions and Survivors' Anger
Notably, a separate photograph of a credenza in Epstein's possession, which showed a framed picture of Trump, Melania, and the sex offender, remained on the DOJ website on Saturday. Other removed documents included photographs of a room with a massage table and nude portraits on the walls.
The White House, when contacted for comment, defended the administration's record. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the Trump administration was "the most transparent in history," citing the release of thousands of pages and cooperation with subpoenas. She added that President Trump had "done more for the victims than Democrats ever have."
The Justice Department itself did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the deletions. It had previously acknowledged it would not meet the full 19 December deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, promising more documents within two weeks.
Meanwhile, survivors of Epstein's abuse expressed growing anger and frustration. Haley Robson, a survivor who voted for Trump but says she regrets it, told The Independent she expected such "tactics." She lamented, "I already knew that we were not going to see the files as we should be getting them." The release was further criticised because hundreds of pages were completely redacted, undermining calls for full transparency.
