The top Democrat on the congressional committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein has accused the US Department of Justice of withholding documents containing allegations of sexual abuse against President Donald Trump.
Robert Garcia, a member of the House Oversight Committee, said he personally reviewed documents not made public that contained these allegations. In response, the justice department maintained that “NOTHING has been deleted”, explaining that any withheld documents were duplicates, privileged, or part of ongoing federal investigations.
Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in Epstein-related misconduct, claiming he has been “totally exonerated”. The department has previously stated that some files contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” against him.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended Trump’s handling of the matter, saying:
“By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calling for more investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him.”
Background on Epstein and Trump
Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, was reportedly friends with Trump for several years, though the two reportedly fell out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein’s first arrest, according to Trump. Millions of documents related to federal investigations into Epstein have been released, with some heavily redacted. Certain materials were withheld under legislation that allows protection for active investigations and victim identities.
Garcia claimed that the files he reviewed revealed additional specific allegations against Trump not included in the publicly released records. He has written to Pam Bondi, demanding their release.
In turn, the justice department accused committee Democrats of “misleading the public while manufacturing outrage from their radical anti-Trump base”, though it said it would review whether any documents were improperly withheld.
Missing FBI interviews
Media reports, including NPR and the New York Times, indicate that three FBI interviews with an alleged Epstein victim are absent from the public files. Indexes suggest the FBI conducted four interviews in 2019 during its probe into Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed in 2022 for sex trafficking.
According to redacted documents, the woman alleged that Epstein raped her as a minor in the early 1980s. Other entries indicate she accused Trump of sexual abuse between 1983 and 1985, when she was 13–15 years old. These tips were reportedly flagged for follow-up but no evidence corroborating the claims has been publicly provided.
The justice department said in a statement that some allegations were submitted just before the 2020 election and were unfounded and false, adding that credible claims would have been used politically against Trump already.
Civil lawsuits and associations
The woman with matching biographical details filed a civil suit against Epstein’s estate in 2019, claiming she was trafficked to New York and raped by men linked to him. The lawsuit did not identify Trump or other specific men, and she voluntarily dismissed her claim in 2021.
Epstein and Trump were photographed together at events in the late 1980s and 1990s. In a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, Trump described Epstein as a “terrific guy” and praised his taste in women.
Trump appears in released Epstein files, though his inclusion does not imply wrongdoing. Some emails from 2011 show Epstein referencing Trump, writing to Maxwell:
“I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump… [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him.”
The White House said the victim referred to was Virginia Giuffre, who had repeatedly stated Trump was not involved in wrongdoing and was “friendly” during their interactions.
