DOJ withholds Trump-related Epstein interview files, investigation finds

• Evidence logs indicate dozens of FBI interview records tied to Epstein, including files referencing allegations against President Trump, are missing from the Justice Department’s public database.

An NPR investigation confirmed by multiple news outlets concluded that the U.S. Department of Justice has withheld or removed dozens of pages from its public database of documents related to condemned sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that mention or relate to allegations against President Donald Trump.

The release of the so-called Epstein files was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law signed last year requiring the DOJ to publish federal documents linked to Epstein’s investigation. Yet internal serial numbers and evidence logs reviewed by NPR and other news organisations show gaps in the public archive, including more than 50 pages of FBI interview reports and notes that appear to have been catalogued but are not accessible on the DOJ website.

Missing Interviews and Trump Allegations

A central focus of the scrutiny involves at least one woman who told FBI agents she was sexually abused by Epstein starting in her early teens and also alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her around that time. Internal FBI and DOJ records indicate that agents interviewed her four times, but only the first interview, which does not mention Trump, is publicly available. The other interview notes and related documents are absent, according to serial number tracking.

Another set of files tied to a second accuser, also present in DOJ logs and briefly published online, was removed and later partially restored, but other items remain offline, restricting external review of the material.

DOJ and White House Response

The Department of Justice declined to answer NPR’s questions on the record about what is in the missing pages, why they were never published, or whether they contain allegations involving Trump. According to DOJ spokespeople, documents not included in the public database are either privileged, duplicative, or part of ongoing investigations. Officials have said nothing was withheld for political reasons, reputational harm, or embarrassment, including for any public official.

A White House statement emphasized that Trump has been “totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein” and cited broad cooperation with both the Trump-signed transparency law and congressional subpoenas. The statement also urged critics to explain why Democrats did not pursue investigations into Epstein’s connections with leading Democratic politicians, comments framed as political rebuttal rather than direct engagement with the document concerns.

Congressional Reaction and New Investigations

The revelations have triggered political and legislative responses:

• Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said after reviewing unredacted DOJ evidence logs that “Oversight Democrats can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes.” He announced that Democrats will open a parallel investigation into the DOJ’s handling of the files.
• Additional Democratic lawmakers are pressing inquiries into whether the department complied with the transparency law, saying that missing interviews and withheld material undermine public confidence in the release process.
• Republicans on the committee have not publicly endorsed claims of unlawful withholding but continue to join discussions about the broader Epstein files and oversight of the release process.

Legal and Transparency Questions

Experts and journalists emphasize that while raw FBI interviews do not equate to guilt or verified truth, they are critical to understanding the investigative timeline and scope of Epstein’s network. Some analysts say the apparent absence of catalogued materials raises questions about how the department is fulfilling its statutory disclosure obligations, especially given the high public interest in transparency related to both Epstein and Trump.

Broader Epstein Files Rollout

The ongoing publication of Epstein-related documents has been chaotic: files have been temporarily removed for redaction corrections, serial numbers do not always match public entries, and some materials connected to other victims or witnesses also appear to be missing from the online archive.

What’s next

Congressional investigations are now underway to determine whether DOJ’s handling of the files violated federal law mandating transparency. The missing pages remain a core point of contention, and lawmakers are demanding clearer explanations and possible enforcement actions if statutory obligations were not met.