Department of Justice Removes 'File 468' and 15 Other Epstein Documents, Deletes Photo of Donald Trump

On Dec. 19, 2025 the Department of Justice published a large tranche of Jeffrey Epstein-related records to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

“Outcry comes as US media report that at least 16 files have disappeared from the public webpage for documents related to Jeffrey Epstein”

Al Jazeera

Within 24 hours at least 16 items were removed from the DOJ's public repository, including an item indexed as "File 468" that Democrats say reportedly contained a photograph involving former President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Al Jazeera

Critics and House Oversight Democrats immediately demanded explanations and accused the administration of a possible cover-up.

The Justice Department offered no detailed explanation for the deletions.

Reporting describes the items that disappeared as largely photographic: nude paintings from Epstein properties, a credenza or table photo showing framed pictures and an open drawer, and at least one image (File 468) tied by some lawmakers to Donald Trump.

Outlets differ in their counts and in which images they highlight; some emphasize the nude painting removals while others flag the drawer or desk photo that reportedly contained prints of a Trump image.

bbc

The released documents relate to the government's handling of Jeffrey Epstein's case.

“At least 16 files linked to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein vanished from the US Justice Department’s public website within a day of being posted, triggering fresh scrutiny over transparency in the long-running Epstein case”

Business Today

Observers and advocates immediately criticized the broader release as heavily redacted and incomplete.

Reporting notes that FBI interviews with Epstein's victims and internal Justice Department memos about charging decisions were absent or blacked out.

A full 119-page "Grand Jury – NY" file was released entirely redacted.

Coverage across West Asian, Asian and Western outlets converges on the point that the tranche added little clarity about why Epstein avoided major federal charges in the 2000s.

House Oversight Democrats publicly flagged the missing File 468 and the index jump that suggested a removal, and they demanded explanations from the Department of Justice while asking Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and the White House for transparency.

Republican critics accused Democrats of 'cherry-picking,' and some outlets reported White House defenses of the release.

CBS News

The Department of Justice said records are being produced on a rolling basis to allow redactions for victim-identifying information but had not explained the specific deletions.

Coverage noted the release added new archival items, such as a previously unseen 1996 FBI complaint and photos of Epstein's properties and associates.

“A photo of Donald Trump standing next to a bikini-clad woman has mysteriously disappeared from the declassified Epstein files, with the image uploaded to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) website on Friday and no longer accessible by Saturday”

Daily Express

It also left core questions unanswered, including why prosecutors retreated from federal charges in the 2000s and how victims' interviews were handled.

Daily Express

Observers questioned whether files were removed for legitimate redaction reasons or to manage the narrative.

Multiple outlets warned that, with more records due on a rolling basis, political, legal and public-interest scrutiny of the DOJ's process will persist.