Washington: United States Department of Justice reposted a photograph from the recent batch of Jeffrey Epstein files featuring President Donald Trump, stating that no Epstein victims were depicted in the photograph. The DOJ had temporarily removed the image for review after the Southern District of New York flagged it in order to protect victims. "The Southern District of New York flagged an image of President Trump for potential further action to protect victims. Out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice temporarily removed the image for further review. After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction," DOJ said in an X post.
Earlier, CNN reported that at least 16 files released in the batch of Jeffrey Epstein documents appeared to have been removed from the website, as of Sunday morning (local time). One of the files removed included a photograph of US President Donald Trump, CNN had reported on Saturday. Among other files that appear to have been removed, the majority depicted explicit artwork, showed mail slots filled with envelopes, a tiled hallway, and a notebook page with names and apartment numbers. In a press release, the DOJ stated that it is committed to transparency and redacting only what is legally required. The Department is required by law to redact identifying information about the victims, minors, or potential victims, as well as privileged material. No redactions have been or will be made to protect famous individuals or politically exposed persons, DOJ said in the release. The Department of Justice has received incoming from individuals alleging to be victims and their lawyers, requesting that certain information be removed. The material is temporarily removed for review and released again with appropriate redactions if legally required.