Washington, December 21, 2025: At least 16 documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were removed from the US Justice Department’s public website within 24 hours of being uploaded, igniting political criticism and renewed scrutiny over the handling of the high-profile case. The disappearance of the files, which reportedly included images referencing former US President Donald Trump, has not been explained by the department.
The documents were publicly accessible on Friday but were no longer available by Saturday. According to reports, the missing material included photographs of artwork depicting nude women and images showing photographs displayed on furniture and inside drawers at Epstein’s properties. One of the images reportedly featured a photograph of Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Justice Department has not clarified whether the files were taken down intentionally or removed due to an error. Officials have also not issued any public notice regarding the removal, and a department spokesperson did not respond to media queries, further fuelling speculation and debate online.
Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee drew attention to the missing documents, particularly the image allegedly showing Trump, questioning the lack of transparency. “What else is being covered up? The American public deserves answers,” the lawmakers said in a post on X.
The development has intensified concerns surrounding the Justice Department’s recent release of tens of thousands of pages related to Epstein. While the disclosures were highly anticipated, critics argue they have yielded little new information about Epstein’s crimes or the prosecutorial decisions that allowed him to avoid serious federal charges for years.
Several key records remain absent from the released material, including FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memoranda examining charging decisions.
These documents were expected to shed light on why Epstein was permitted in 2008 to plead guilty to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge.
The released files also make limited reference to several influential figures long associated with Epstein, including Britain’s former Prince Andrew, raising further questions about the scope of the disclosures. However, some new details have emerged, such as information related to a 1996 complaint accusing Epstein of stealing photographs of children and insights into why a federal investigation into him was dropped in the early 2000s.
While the document trove contains numerous images of Epstein’s residences in New York and the US Virgin Islands, as well as photographs involving celebrities and politicians, observers noted a comparatively small number of images featuring Trump, alongside previously unseen photographs of former President Bill Clinton. Neither Trump nor Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and both have publicly distanced themselves from him.
Despite a congressional deadline mandating full disclosure by Friday, the Justice Department has said the records will be released in phases, citing the time required to redact survivors’ names and sensitive personal information. No timeline has been announced for the release of additional documents.
