The Justice Department released a large set of records about Jeffrey Epstein, but CBS News reports that at least 15 files posted Friday were gone from the DOJ website the next day. Missing items included photos featuring Bill Clinton, the pope, and an image showing Donald Trump with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, plus images of a room with a possible massage table and nude photos. Crucially, the initial disclosures did not include FBI interviews with survivors or internal DOJ memos about charging decisions, and the department says it will publish materials on a rolling basis while it redacts sensitive information.
At Least 15 Newly Released Epstein Files Vanished From DOJ Website, Records Show
The Justice Department published tens of thousands of pages of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but CBS News found that at least 15 files posted on Friday were no longer available on the department's website the following day.
CBS News said it downloaded the full set of documents on Friday and compared that version with what was accessible on Saturday. The missing files included images and photos that raised fresh questions about the release process and the scope of what the DOJ has shared publicly.
What Was Removed
Among the files that disappeared was an image showing a cluster of framed photographs on a credenza, including a photo of former President Bill Clinton and another of the pope. An open drawer in that image appeared to contain a photograph showing President Donald Trump together with Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Other removed items reportedly included photos of a room with what appeared to be a massage table and images of nude subjects — both photographs and paintings.
DOJ Response
The Justice Department did not immediately explain why the files were removed. In a late Saturday post to its X account, the DOJ said: "Photos and other materials will continue being reviewed and redacted consistent with the law in an abundance of caution as we receive additional information." The department has said it will release records on a rolling basis and cited the time-consuming need to redact survivors' names and other identifying information as a reason for delays.
What’s Still Missing From The Release
Observers have noted that the initial disclosures — although extensive — omit some of the most consequential materials analysts and survivors were expecting. Missing from the release are FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memos that scrutinize charging decisions, records that could clarify how investigators assessed evidence and why Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a relatively minor state prostitution charge rather than facing broader federal prosecution.
The disclosures also make scant reference to several powerful figures long associated with Epstein, including Britain's Prince Andrew, prompting renewed questions about who was investigated and who was not. The documents did include some background details such as the DOJ's earlier decision to decline a broader investigation in the 2000s and a previously unseen 1996 complaint accusing Epstein of stealing photographs of children.
Why It Matters
Transparency advocates and survivors say that full disclosure of investigative records — especially victim interviews and internal memos — is essential to understanding how prosecutorial decisions were made and whether accountability was achieved.
While the newly released trove offers extensive images of Epstein's properties in New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands and several photographs of public figures, key investigative documents remain absent. The Justice Department has not provided a timeline for when additional records will be posted.
