Ongoing Investigation: Updates & Public Information

The Justice Department removed and withheld dozens of pages of files related to accusations that former President Donald Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation revealed on Monday. The files, part of a larger database of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, were identified through unique serial numbers appearing before and after the missing pages.

The investigation found that the removed or withheld documents include what appear to be more than 50 pages of FBI interviews, as well as notes from conversations with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor. NPR’s review of the Epstein files database, FBI case records, emails, and discovery document logs indicated the files were cataloged by the Justice Department but were not made publicly available.

The withholding of these files contradicts a law mandating their release. The disclosure of law enforcement investigative records is generally presumed public unless the custodian can prove release would interfere with ongoing investigations or proceedings, according to a national landscape review of public access to criminal investigative records. However, the Justice Department declined to answer NPR’s questions on the record about the specific files, their contents, and the reasons for their non-publication.

The missing pages were discovered as part of a larger review of documents released at the end of January. The files relate to accusations against Trump that surfaced in connection with the Epstein case and his association with Ghislaine Maxwell. The Justice Department has previously faced scrutiny regarding the release of Epstein-related documents, and this latest finding raises further questions about the completeness of the public record.

According to Washington State law, entire investigative files for open investigations are categorically exempt from disclosure, as the nondisclosure is considered essential to effective law enforcement. However, the status of the investigation related to the accusations against Trump remains unclear, and it is not yet known whether this exemption applies to the withheld files.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press notes that in Alabama, law enforcement “investigative reports and related investigatory material” are not public records. Whereas there is authority for public access to complaint reports in active investigations, the sheriff retains the right to withhold or redact information depending on the case’s nature and potential threats to victims or the investigation itself.

As of Monday afternoon, the Justice Department had not responded to requests for comment regarding the specific files identified by NPR, nor have they provided an explanation for their removal from the public database.