&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Why are Epstein files still redacted? DOJ denies cover-up meant to shield Trump")
The US Justice Department on Sunday (Dec 21) rejected claims that it redacted newly released Jeffrey Epstein files to shield President Donald Trump, as backlash grew over what victims and lawmakers described as a heavily censored and incomplete disclosure. A tranche of Epstein-related records was released on Friday (Dec 19). The release contained many pages blacked out and several photographs obscured, which triggered anger among survivors of the late sex offender. Critics accused the administration of failing to comply with a law mandating the full release of all Epstein files.
Not protecting Trump
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday denied any political interference, telling NBC's Meet the Press that the department was "not redacting information around President Trump." When asked whether any material had been removed for political reasons, Blanche said, "Absolutely, positively not."
One of the most controversial decisions involved censoring group photographs that included Trump. Blanche said the images were initially removed out of "concern" for the women pictured. The Justice Department later reposted the photos without alterations after determining "there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted."
Democrats slam Trump admin redactions
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Democratic lawmakers, however, remain unconvinced. Representative Jamie Raskin accused Trump of blocking transparency, arguing that the redactions amounted to a cover-up. "It's all about covering up things that, for whatever reason, Donald Trump doesn't want to go public, either about himself (or) other members of his family, friends," Raskin told CNN.
Also read | Trump rewrites White House history with brutal plaques mocking Biden and Obama. See pics HERE
The released material included images of former president Bill Clinton and references to high-profile figures such as Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson. Officials said the redactions were meant to protect victims' privacy, but the scale of the blackouts has only intensified public suspicion.
MAGA base miffed by the release?
Criticism also came from within Trump's own party. Republican Representative Thomas Massie said the release violated both the spirit and letter of the law. Speaking on CBS's Face the Nation, Massie claimed a 60-count indictment implicating prominent individuals had not been made public, calling it a case of "selective concealment."
"They're flouting the spirit and the letter of the law. It's very troubling the posture that they've taken. And I won't be satisfied until the survivors are satisfied," said Massie.
Trump had initially opposed releasing the files tied to Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Facing pressure from Congress, including Republicans, he ultimately signed legislation compelling their release.
