Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on December 21 that the Justice Department had handled the release of documents related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appropriately, stressing that the department “did not redact any information related to President Donald Trump.”
Blanche emphasized that no materials were redacted for reasons of political sensitivity, noting that such actions would be illegal. He explained that one photograph containing several group images, including at least one showing President Trump, was initially removed out of “concern for the women depicted in the photo.”
Later on December 21, the U.S. Department of Justice reposted the image after determining that “none of Epstein’s victims” appeared in it, adding that the photo was unaltered.
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Epstein’s victims had previously expressed outrage after the Justice Department released the Epstein files on December 19 with numerous pages redacted and images censored. At the time, the department said the measures were intended to protect victims. Democratic lawmakers accused President Trump of failing to comply with a law requiring the full disclosure of all documents related to the Epstein investigation.
“This is all about covering up something Donald Trump doesn’t want made public, for some reason, about himself or other members of his family,” Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin said on December 21. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who has long called for the complete release of the Epstein files, voiced a similar view the same day.
“They are showing contempt for both the letter and the spirit of the rule of law, and that is deeply troubling. I will not stop until the victims feel satisfied,” Massie said.
The lawmaker also alleged that an indictment listing 60 charges and involving well-known individuals had not been released. “This is selective concealment,” he said.
Among the materials released on December 19 were photographs of former president Bill Clinton and several famous figures, including pop star Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson.
At least one document contained dozens of censored images depicting people who were nude or scantily dressed. The files also included previously unseen images of Britain’s Prince Andrew, showing him lying across the laps of five women.
Other photos showed former president Clinton relaxing in a hot tub and swimming with a dark-haired woman believed to be Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate.
President Trump was once friends with Epstein, and the two were known to attend social events together. However, Trump cut ties with Epstein years before the financier’s arrest and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Although Trump initially opposed releasing the Epstein files, he ultimately yielded to pressure from Congress — including members of his own party — and signed legislation mandating the public disclosure of the documents.