A review by The New York Times found that key FBI interview summaries related to an accusation against Donald Trump were not included in the Justice Department’s recent public release of investigative files connected to Epstein.
According to an index of materials made public, the FBI conducted four interviews in 2019 with a woman who alleged she had been sexually assaulted decades earlier by both Epstein and Trump when she was a minor. However, only one of the four FBI summaries — focused on her allegations against Epstein — was released. Three additional summaries, as well as underlying interview notes referenced in the index, were not included in the public files.
Justice Department Responds to Questions
The United States Department of Justice said in statements that withheld materials were either privileged, duplicates, or potentially connected to an ongoing federal investigation. On Wednesday, the department said it was reviewing the document release and would publish any materials improperly tagged if legally required to do so.
The document release was mandated under a law signed last year requiring broader public disclosure of investigative materials related to Epstein. The law permits redactions to protect victims’ identities, depictions of abuse, or ongoing investigations, but prohibits withholding information to avoid embarrassment or political sensitivity.
Allegations and Political Reaction
The woman came forward in July 2019 following Epstein’s arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges. In a released 2019 FBI memo, she detailed allegations of repeated abuse by Epstein in the 1980s and claimed Epstein introduced her to Trump, who she alleged assaulted her during that time. The files do not include an FBI credibility assessment of her claims against Trump.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the president had been “totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein.”
Representative Robert Garcia of California said interview summaries referenced in the index were also missing from unredacted materials reviewed by members of Congress. Democrats have indicated they plan to investigate why the documents were not included.
The case continues to raise questions about the scope and completeness of the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein file release.
