The latest US Justice Department release on Jeffrey Epstein features famous names but excludes Donald Trump, raising questions amid heavy redactions and missing files.
WASHINGTON: The US Justice Department’s latest document release on Jeffrey Epstein contains numerous famous names but notably excludes former President Donald Trump.
Released on Friday, the partial tranche features redacted references to figures including former President Bill Clinton, celebrities, and Britain’s Prince Andrew.
Trump’s administration complied with a congressional mandate for disclosure despite previously attempting to keep the files sealed.
The extensive redactions and limited scope have drawn criticism from Republicans and victims alike.
Trump’s absence is conspicuous given his documented past association with Epstein and his appearance in earlier released flight manifests.
The materials include a 1996 FBI complaint accusing Epstein of involvement with “child pornography”, predating major investigations.
Celebrity photos released without context or accusations include Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, and the late Walter Cronkite.
Prince Andrew appears in one photo lying across women’s laps but has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
The scandal remains a political liability for Trump, who previously promoted conspiracy theories about Epstein.
Despite Trump and Epstein’s well-publicised 1990s friendship, the latest batch appears to contain few, if any, photos or documents mentioning him.
One file containing a Trump photo was removed from the dataset on Saturday, prompting demands for explanation from House Democrats.
Up to 16 photos were reportedly deleted from the Justice Department website, according to major US news outlets.
The Justice Department and White House did not immediately respond to queries about the missing files.
Many documents were heavily redacted, with some hundred-page files entirely blacked out.
The department acknowledged reviewing hundreds of thousands of additional pages for possible future release.
Victim Marina Lacerda expressed fury at the redactions, calling it “another slap in the face”.
Last month, House Democrats released emails including one where Epstein wrote Trump “knew about the girls”.
Trump dismissed this as Democrats promoting the “Epstein Hoax” as a distraction.
Justice Department spokespeople highlighted Clinton by posting social media images they said showed him with Epstein victims.
Clinton’s deputy chief of staff accused the White House of trying to “shield themselves” by focusing on the former president.
The White House stated the release demonstrated transparency and commitment to justice for victims.
Disclosures occurred only because Congress forced the administration’s hand after officials declared no more files would be made public.
The mandated law required internal reports and emails about the Epstein investigation, which did not appear in Friday’s release.
The law allowed withholding victim information and material jeopardising active investigations.
