The US Department of Justice has withheld nearly 48,000 files from public release, with many allegedly involving allegations against US President Donald Trump, in its ongoing disclosures related to investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, after publishing more than two million pages of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, reported The Independent.
The department initially released more than three million pages of records but later withheld about 48,0000 pages. The total now stands at about 2.7 million. A Justice Department spokesperson told the CBS News that that 47,635 files 'were offline for further review and should be ready for re‑production by the end of the week.'
Natalie Baldassarre, a Justice Department spokesperson said that they are 'working around the clock to address victim concerns, redact personally identifiable information and any images of a sexual nature.' She said all responsive documents will be restored online once redactions are complete. US Federal law requires the Justice Department to release millions of pages of emails, court filings, photos and videos tied to Epstein, where many prominent public figures, including Trump have been mentioned.
The department told The Independent last week that it is 'currently reviewing' documents outlining unverified allegations against Trump. The records include FBI interview summaries related to claims submitted after Epstein's 2019 arrest by a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Epstein and Trump decades earlier, when she was a minor.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said the department withheld duplicate materials, records that could interfere with active investigations, child sexual abuse material, and files that could expose survivors' identities.
Trump's Stand On Epstein Files
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said he cut ties with Epstein years before the financier died in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex‑trafficking charges. Trump's name appears thousands of times across the documents. The president socialised with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, and Epstein once described himself as Trump's 'closest friend.'
Trump has not been charged with any crime as of now.
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