The Justice Department moved swiftly into damage control Tuesday after a bombshell report from NPR alleged that officials withheld records from the Jeffrey Epstein files referencing President Donald Trump — a claim the department flatly rejected as false and politically motivated.
In a frantic post from its official rapid response account on X, the DOJ insisted that no responsive documents had been deleted and that all required materials had been released in accordance with federal law. The department said claims it “buried” Trump-related records were false and accused Democrats of manufacturing outrage.
“NOTHING has been deleted,” the DOJ wrote, adding that any documents temporarily removed from public databases were pulled only to protect victims or redact personally identifiable information. Those records, officials said, were promptly restored and remain publicly available.
The statement came after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, led by Robert Garcia, accused the department of improperly withholding FBI interview summaries connected to allegations dating back to 2019. Garcia announced a new probe into the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files, demanding greater transparency about how certain records were processed and published.
The Justice Department maintained that it has produced all responsive documents except those that fall into established exemptions, including duplicates, legally privileged materials, or records tied to ongoing federal investigations. Officials rejected assertions that Trump-related files were singled out or concealed.
The escalating dispute marks the latest flashpoint in the political battle over the release of Epstein-related records, as lawmakers continue to scrutinize how the massive trove of documents has been reviewed, redacted, and made public.
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