Withheld Epstein files with accusations against Trump released by justice department
Epstein Files Detail Unverified Sexual Assault Allegations Against Trump
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has disclosed FBI summaries of interviews involving a woman who leveled unsubstantiated accusations of sexual assault against former President Donald Trump. This disclosure occurred after reports emerged that these documents were absent from the DOJ’s database, sparking allegations from Democrats that officials had concealed information.
According to the DOJ, the files were initially withheld due to an error in their classification system, where they were “incorrectly coded as duplicative.” The newly released memos outline interviews conducted in 2019 with the woman, who claims both Trump and Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted her during her teenage years. The FBI agents involved did not follow up with her after the sessions, as noted in the records.
White House Defends Claims as Baseless
“The allegations are completely baseless and backed by zero credible evidence,” stated White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. She emphasized that the Justice Department under the previous Joe Biden administration had not pursued charges against Trump because “they knew President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong.”
The documents also include a compilation of accusations submitted to the DOJ’s national Threat Operation Center tip line, highlighting numerous claims against Trump, Epstein, and other prominent individuals. Many of these allegations appear to rely on unconfirmed tips, often lacking supporting evidence. In January, the DOJ noted that some materials contained “untrue and sensationalist claims” against Trump, which were filed shortly before the 2020 election.
Following the latest release, the DOJ clarified that if the claims had any validity, they would have been used against Trump previously. The three newly shared memos were previously reported to be missing from the initial Epstein file batches, with NPR highlighting discrepancies in file indexes suggesting the FBI had conducted four interviews with the woman in 2019 as part of the investigation into Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was imprisoned in 2022 for sex trafficking.
Timeline of Trump and Epstein’s Relationship
Trump and Epstein were reportedly close friends for several years, but their relationship soured in the early 2000s. Trump described the rift as occurring two years prior to Epstein’s first arrest, which aligns with the timeline of the woman’s alleged incidents. Despite this, the DOJ’s files do not definitively confirm whether the two men knew each other during the time the woman claims the assaults happened.
Earlier this week, a House committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, seeking clarity on the DOJ’s management of the Epstein files. This action united both Republicans and Democrats in questioning the department’s handling of the records. Since November, Congress has mandated the release of all material from Epstein investigations, resulting in millions of documents now available to the public.
