(New York) At least 16 documents have disappeared from the Justice Department’s public web page for Jeffrey Epstein-related documents – including a photograph showing President Donald Trump – less than a day after their publication, without any explanation from the government or notification to the public.
Published at
Updated to
The missing files, which were available Friday and no longer accessible Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women, as well as a series of photographs arranged along a sideboard and in drawers. In that image, among other photos, was a photograph of Donald Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate.
The Justice Department has not explained why these documents were deleted or whether their disappearance was intentional. A ministry spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Online, the unexplained disappearance of these files fueled speculation about what had been deleted and why the public had not been informed, furthering the long-standing mystery around Epstein and the personalities
This episode reinforced the concerns that had already emerged following the highly anticipated release of the Justice Department documents.
The tens of thousands of pages made public have provided little new information about Epstein’s crimes or the prosecutorial decisions that allowed him to escape serious federal charges for years.
Some of the most important documents expected regarding Epstein are nowhere to be found in the Justice Department’s initial disclosures, which run into tens of thousands of pages.
Missing are FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memos reviewing prosecution decisions, documents that could have helped explain how investigators viewed the case and why Epstein was allowed to plead guilty in 2008 to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge.
Several gaps in the documents
The documents, required for disclosure under a law recently passed by Congress, barely refer to several influential figures long associated with Epstein, including the former Prince Andrew of England, reigniting questions about who was investigated, who was not, and to what extent the disclosures actually contribute to public accountability.
The new information revealed includes details of the Justice Department’s decision to drop the investigation into Epstein in the 2000s, allowing him to plead guilty to the charge at the state level, as well as a previously unreported complaint from 1996 accusing Epstein of stealing photos of children.
The information leaked so far mainly involves images of Epstein’s homes in New York and the US Virgin Islands, as well as a few photos of celebrities and politicians.
There was a series of never-before-seen photos of former President Bill Clinton, but very few of Donald Trump. Both were associated with Epstein, but have since disavowed that friendship. None of them have been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and there is no indication that these photos played any role in the criminal proceedings against him.
PHOTO JONATHAN ERNST, REUTERS
Some 4,000 files were revealed on Friday.
Despite Congress’ Friday deadline to make everything public, the Justice Department said it plans to release the documents as they become available. He blamed the delay on the tedious process of hiding survivors’ names and other identifying information.
That approach angered some people who accused Epstein and some members of Congress who fought to pass the law forcing the department to act.
“I feel like, once again, the Justice Department and the justice system are failing us,” said Marina Lacerda, who claims Epstein began sexually abusing her in his New York mansion when she was 14.
Many of the long-awaited documents were redacted or lacked context.
Federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein with sex trafficking in 2019, but he committed suicide in prison after his arrest.
Trump’s Republican allies seized on images of Clinton, including photos of the Democrat with singers Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. There were also photos of Epstein with actors Chris Tucker and Kevin Spacey, and even of Epstein with TV presenter Walter Cronkite. But none of these photos were accompanied by captions and no explanation was given as to why they were together.
The most significant documents released so far show that federal prosecutors had a strong case against Epstein in 2007 but never charged him.
The transcripts of the grand jury proceedings, made public for the first time, included testimony from FBI agents who described interviews they had with several girls and young women who said they were paid to have sex with Epstein. The youngest was 14 and in third grade.
