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Agence France-Presse

US Justice Department officials on Sunday denied redacting the Epstein files to protect US President Donald Trump, as criticism mounted over the partial and heavily censored release of documents.
Victims of Jeffrey Epstein have expressed anger after a cache of records from cases against the late sex offender were released Friday with many pages blacked out and photos censored.
US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the release by the Justice Department, telling NBC’s Meet the Press that “we are not redacting information around President Trump”.
When asked if any material was redacted to due to political sensitivities - which would be illegal - Blanche replied “absolutely, positively not”.

This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release.@AGPamBondi is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public. pic.twitter.com/3wYZAl2dse
— Oversight Dems (@OversightDems) December 20, 2025

The decision to remove an image of several group photos, including at least one showing Trump, had been taken over “concerns about those women,” said Blanche, a former personal lawyer to the president.
The Justice Department on Sunday reposted the photo “without any alteration or redaction” after a review determined “there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted”.
Democratic lawmakers accused Trump himself of defying a law ordering the release of all files on Epstein, who amassed a fortune and circulated among rich and famous people.
“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,” Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.
The tranche of materials released on Friday included photographs of former president Bill Clinton and other famous names such as pop stars Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson.
The Justice Department said it was protecting Epstein’s victims with the blackouts.

But the many redactions - and allegations of missing documents - only added to calls for justice in a case that has fuelled conspiracy theories from Trump’s right-wing base.
Republican congressman Thomas Massie, who has long pushed for complete release of the files, on Sunday joined in with the Democrats’ demands.
“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,” he told CBS’ Face The Nation.
A 60-count indictment that implicates well-known people was not released, Massie charged. “It’s about the selective concealment,” he said.
Massie and Ro Khanna, a Democratic congressman from California, have indicated they could draft articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi for what they see as the gross failure of the department to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing and has denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes. But Trump tried to block the disclosure of the files linked to Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The president finally bowed to mounting pressure from Congress - including members of his own party - and signed the law compelling publication of the material.
Trump was once a close friend of Epstein, regularly attending parties together, but he cut ties with him years before his 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 photographs 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.
The deputy attorney general defended the decision by the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), which Blanche oversees, to transfer Maxwell to a less restrictive, minimum-security federal prison earlier this year soon after he interviewed her about Epstein. Blanche said the transfer was made because of concerns about her safety.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her 2021 conviction for sex-trafficking crimes.
“She was suffering numerous threats against her life,” Blanche said. “So the BOP is not only responsible for putting people in jail and making sure they stay in jail but also for their safety.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House minority leader, said on ABC’s This Week that justice officials must provide written explanation to Congress within 15 days about why they withheld any documents.
“It does appear, of course, that this initial document release is inadequate,” Jeffries said.
Additional reporting by Associated Press and Reuters


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United States

US Justice Department denies cover-up as photo showing Trump restored to Epstein files

Newly-released documents from disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a sheaf of entirely redacted pages. Photo: Reuters

Jeffrey Epstein with Michael Jackson. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

Former US president Bill Clinton swimming in a pool. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

At least 16 files gone from Epstein release site, including 1 with Trump photo

The releases so far have been heavy on images of Jeffrey Epstein’s homes in New York and the US Virgin Islands, with some photos of celebrities and politicians. Photo: AFP

What appears to be a stuffed tiger is shown in Jeffrey Epstein’s New York home in an image released on Friday. Photo: US Department of Justice via Reuters

A book titled “Massage for Dummies” is seen in an image released on Friday. Photo: US Department of Justice via Reuters

Trump Justice Department releases partial set of Epstein files for now

A protester holds a sign related to the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files outside the US Capitol last month. Photo: AFP

Screenshot of one of the court records released by the US Justice Department along with other Epstein documents on Friday. Image: US Department of Justice

A screenshot of the website created by the US Department of Justice to make the Epstein documents available. Image: US Department of Justice

Epstein victims angry over gaps and censorship in long-awaited file release

Epstein accuser Marina Lacerda speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol in September. Photo: AP

A New York grand jury file into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell released on Friday was totally redacted. Photo: AP

A redacted photo released on Friday shows Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor laying across several people’s laps with Ghislaine Maxwell standing above. Photo: US Department of Justice via AP

Ghislaine Maxwell poses with Jean-Luc Brunel in an undated photograph released on Friday. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

Epstein files release highlights Clinton, makes scant reference to Trump

Former US President Bill Clinton stands with Jeffrey Epstein in this image released on Friday. Photo: US Department of Justice via Reuters

Former US president Bill Clinton swims in a pool in this image released on Friday. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

Former US president Bill Clinton (centre) is seen with singers Michael Jackson and Diana Ross in an undated photo released on Friday. Photo: US Department of Justice via AFP

A painting of former US president Bill Clinton wearing a dress is displayed inside the New York home of Jeffrey Epstein in an image released on Friday. Photo: US Department of Justice via Reuters

Former US president Bill Clinton and a woman, whose face has been redacted, are seen in an image released on Friday. Photo: US Department of Justice via Reuters

New Epstein photos show Lolita quotes written on woman’s foot and body

A photo of a foot with a quote from Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” written on it was among the images released by Democratic lawmakers on Thursday. Photo: House Oversight Democrats via AFP

Jeffrey Epstein appears with a woman, whose identity has been obscured, in this image from the Epstein estate released by House Oversight Committee Democrats on Thursday. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats via Reuters

Bill Gates appears with a woman, whose identity has been obscured, in this image from the Epstein estate released on Thursday. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats via Reuters

A quote from Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” written on the chest of an unidentified person is seen in the latest set of photos from the Epstein estate. Photo: House Oversight Democrats via AFP

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World

United States & Canada

Politics

Officials backtrack on removing an image showing several photos including the US president with women after omission comes under scrutiny


Officials backtrack on removing an image showing several photos including the US president with women after omission comes under scrutiny.


US Justice Department denies cover-up as photo showing Trump restored to Epstein files

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Officials backtrack on removing an image showing several photos including the US president with women after omission comes under scrutiny

Officials backtrack on removing an image showing several photos including the US president with women after omission comes under scrutiny