EPSTEIN FILES: DOJ SILENT AS AT LEAST 19 DOCUMENTS VANISH OVERNIGHT - INCLUDING TRUMP PHOTO FILEThe DOJ's release of Epstein-related documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act is already unraveling.
In addition to the previously reported removal of EFTA00000468.pdf - a file containing a well-known 2000 photo of Trump, Melania Knauss (now Trump), Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell taken inside Epstein's NYC townhouse - at least 18 other files have been quietly deleted from the public portal...
What was removed?
The Trump photo file (EFTA00000468.pdf) was pulled within hours of the initial release.
The other 18+ missing documents reportedly include investigative notes, witness statements, evidence logs, and possibly redacted transcripts or memos from earlier FBI probes.
These were part of "Data Set 1," the first batch made available on the DOJ website. Adjacent files remain accessible, creating noticeable gaps in the index.
No official explanation has been provided by the DOJ as of today. The agency previously stated that redactions are for victim protection and ongoing investigations, and that more documents would be released in batches.
However, this mass deletion has raised serious questions about transparency and compliance with the law signed by Trump last month.
Many critics, including Democratic lawmakers like Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie (who co-authored the transparency act), are accusing the DOJ of selective withholding or even obstruction.
Khanna called the release "incomplete" and "heavily redacted," while Massie suggested potential criminal liability for officials involved if the law isn't followed.
The Trump administration has defended the process, with a White House spokesperson claiming it’s the "most transparent in history" and pointing fingers at Democrats for past Epstein ties.
Still, the unexplained removals - especially of a file tied to the sitting president - have fueled more than speculation of a cover-up.
This is part of a larger pattern:
The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires "all unclassified records" in searchable format, but millions of pages remain unreleased.
The DOJ has acknowledged the backlog but promised more drops "over the next couple of weeks."
The missing files may or may not contain explosive new info - some were likely mundane - but their sudden disappearance has turned a routine release into another chapter of controversy in the long-running Epstein saga.
Source: RawStory, DOJ website monitoring (as of Dec 20, 2025)
Mike
