BY COMFORT OGBONNA
A photograph of U.S. President Donald Trump that had been temporarily removed from a cache of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents released by the Department of Justice was restored on Sunday after officials concluded that none of Epstein’s victims appeared in the image, the department said.
The image, which shows a desk with an open drawer containing a photograph of Trump alongside several women, had been flagged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for further review. Officials said the review was initiated out of concern for protecting potential victims connected to Epstein’s crimes and to ensure that no identifying or harmful material was publicly disclosed.
Following the internal assessment, the Justice Department said it found no evidence that any of Epstein’s victims were depicted in the photograph. As a result, the image was reposted to the department’s online archive without any changes. In a statement shared on X on Sunday, the department said the decision reflected its obligation to balance transparency with sensitivity toward individuals who may have been harmed by Epstein.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the removal earlier in the day, saying the decision had nothing to do with President Trump personally. Speaking during a Sunday morning appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker,” Blanche said the image was taken down solely because of concerns related to women pictured in the photo and the need to ensure no victims were inadvertently exposed.
The episode comes after the Justice Department released thousands of documents on Friday connected to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in 2019. The document release has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, including from some Republicans, who argue that the files contain heavy redactions and relatively few references to Trump despite his widely reported past social association with Epstein.
Democrats have also raised concerns about the scope and completeness of the disclosure. During an interview with ABC News on Sunday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for a “full and complete investigation” into the document release, questioning why the production appeared to fall short of what he said the law required.
Media reports indicated that as many as 16 photos, including the image of the desk drawer containing the Trump photograph, were removed from the Justice Department’s website on Saturday before being restored. The department said on Sunday that it acted out of an abundance of caution after receiving requests from individuals who have alleged they were victims of Epstein, as well as from their legal representatives, asking that certain information be removed or reviewed.
Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. He has repeatedly denied having knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities and has said he severed ties with him well before Epstein’s legal troubles became public.
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