Justice Department denies shielding Trump as fury grows over redacted Epstein files
The U.S. Justice Department denied it redacted Jeffrey Epstein files to protect President Donald Trump as criticism mounted over a partial, heavily censored release of documents that has angered victims and prompted bipartisan demands for full disclosure.
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Victims of the late sex offender said the newly released cache — with many pages blacked out and images blurred — fell far short of what Congress ordered under a law compelling publication of the Epstein materials.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the decision to remove an image from several group photos, including at least one showing Trump. “There were concerns about those women and the fact that we had put that photo up,” Blanche, a former personal lawyer to the president, said. Asked whether any material was withheld due to political sensitivity — which would be illegal — he replied, “absolutely, positively not.”
Democrats accused Trump of defying the law’s intent. “It’s all about covering up things that, for whatever reason, Donald Trump doesn’t want to go public, either about himself (or) other members of his family, friends,” Rep. Jamie Raskin said.
The tranche included photographs of former President Bill Clinton and other famous names, including pop stars Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson. The Justice Department said the blackouts were necessary to protect Epstein’s victims.
But the breadth of redactions — and allegations that some records are missing — intensified calls for transparency in a scandal that has fueled conspiracy theories from Trump’s right-wing base for years.
Republicans joined the outcry. “They’re flouting the spirit and the letter of the law. It’s very troubling the posture that they’ve taken. And I won’t be satisfied until the survivors are satisfied,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, who has long pushed for complete release of the files. Massie also claimed a 60-count indictment implicating well-known people was not released. “It’s about the selective concealment,” he said.
Sen. Rand Paul warned on ABC’s “This Week” that any material left under wraps “will just plague them for months and months more.”
Trump had attempted to block disclosure of files linked to Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The president ultimately bowed to pressure from Congress — including members of his own party — and signed the law mandating publication. Trump was once friendly with Epstein and regularly attended parties with him, but he cut ties years before Epstein’s arrest and faces no accusations of wrongdoing.
At least one released file contained dozens of censored images of naked or scantily clad figures, while previously unseen images of disgraced former prince Andrew show him lying across the legs of five women. Other pictures show Clinton lounging in a hot tub, part of the image blacked out, and swimming alongside a dark-haired woman who appears to be Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, is the only person convicted in connection with his crimes to date and is serving a 20-year sentence for recruiting underage girls. Epstein’s death was ruled a suicide.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on “This Week” that justice officials must provide a written explanation to Congress within 15 days for any withheld documents. “It does appear, of course, that this initial document release is inadequate,” he said.
The Justice Department now faces a narrowing path between legal obligations to protect victims and intensifying demands from Congress and the public to unseal the remaining Epstein files — without further eroding trust in how the case has been handled.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
