Some Epstein files released Friday disappear from DOJ website
Latest batch of Epstein files released
The latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files were released Friday by the Justice Department. Photos show high-profile figures like Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, and others alongside individuals whose identities have been redacted. Not seen in any of the photos is President Trump which sparking outrage against the department. The DOJ denying any efforts to redact any mentions of the president in the files.
At least 16 files relating to Jeffrey Epstein disappeared from the Justice Department’s public webpage Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
What we know:
The missing files, which were available Friday and no longer accessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Jeffrey Epstein and US President Donald Trump are seen on the images released by the US Department of State. The US Justice Department released thousands of records Friday related to the sex trafficking investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey
What we don't know:
It’s not known why the files weren’t available. No explanation from the government and no notice to the public were given.
A spokesperson for the department did not immediately respond to the Associated Press’ request for comment.
Dig deeper:
Online, the unexplained missing files fueled speculation about what was taken down and why the public was not notified, compounding long-standing intrigue about Epstein and the powerful figures who surrounded him.
Epstein files released
The backstory:
Despite a Friday deadline set by Congress to make everything public, the Justice Department said it plans to release records on a rolling basis.
The tens of thousands of pages that were made public Friday offered little new insight into Epstein’s crimes or the prosecutorial decisions that allowed him to avoid serious federal charges for years, while omitting some of the most closely watched materials, including FBI interviews with victims and internal Justice Department memos on charging decisions.
READ MORE: Epstein files released by Justice Department: What's in them
Big picture view:
Many of the records released so far had been made public in court filings, congressional releases or freedom of information requests, though, for the first time, they were all in one place and available for the public to search for free.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from the public records relating to Jeffrey Epstein made available on the Justice Department’s public webpage, as reported on by The Associated Press. Background information was taken from The Associated Press and previous FOX Television Station reporting. This story was reported from Detroit.