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At least 15 documents released Friday by the Justice Department as part of its long-awaited disclosure of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were no longer available on the department’s website by Saturday.
CBS News said it downloaded the full set of files shortly after they were posted Friday and later determined that multiple records had been removed. The Justice Department has not explained why the files are missing. CBS News said it contacted the department seeking comment.
The disappearance of the records has intensified scrutiny of the department’s initial release, which was already criticized by lawmakers and victims’ advocates for omitting key materials and offering little new insight into Epstein’s crimes or how federal authorities handled his case for years.
Among the missing files was a photograph showing a credenza holding numerous framed images, including photos of former President Bill Clinton and the pope. An open drawer beneath the desk contained a photo of President Donald Trump standing with Epstein and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Other files no longer accessible included images of a room containing what appeared to be a massage table, as well as photographs of nude images and paintings.
The Justice Department released tens of thousands of pages of Epstein-related materials Friday, complying with a law passed by Congress requiring disclosure by a set deadline. The records consisted largely of photographs taken during FBI searches of Epstein’s properties in New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with court filings and other documents — many heavily redacted.
But some of the most anticipated records remain absent from the release. Missing are FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memoranda examining charging decisions — documents that could shed light on why Epstein was allowed in 2008 to plead guilty to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge instead of facing federal prosecution.
The absence of those materials has renewed questions about how investigators evaluated evidence, which individuals were scrutinized and whether powerful figures received special treatment.
The documents released so far also make scant reference to several high-profile figures long associated with Epstein, including Britain’s former Prince Andrew. Neither Prince Andrew nor Clinton or Trump has been charged with wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the inclusion of names or images in investigative files does not imply criminal conduct.
Among the limited new information contained in the release are documents touching on the Justice Department’s decision to abandon a federal investigation into Epstein in the 2000s, as well as a previously unseen 1996 complaint accusing Epstein of stealing photographs of children.
Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the Justice Department for failing to meet the spirit of the disclosure law, despite meeting the formal requirement to release records by Friday’s deadline.
The department has said it will continue releasing documents on a rolling basis, citing the time required to redact victims’ names and other identifying information. It has not said when additional records will be made public or whether removed files will be restored.
