WASHINGTON, DC – US Justice Department officials on Sunday (Monday, Manila time) denied redacting the Epstein files to protect President Donald Trump, as criticism mounted over the partial and heavily-censored release of documents.
Victims of Jeffrey Epstein have expressed anger after a cache of records from cases against the late sex offender were released Friday with many pages blacked out and photos censored.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the release by the Justice Department, telling NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “we are not redacting information around President Trump.”
When asked if any material was redacted to due to political sensitivities — which would be illegal — Blanche replied “absolutely, positively not.”
The decision to remove an image of several group photos, including at least one showing Trump, had been taken over “concerns about those women,” said Blanche, a former personal lawyer to the president.
The Justice Department on Sunday reposted the photo “without any alteration or redaction” after a review determined “there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted.”
Democratic lawmakers accused Trump himself of defying a law ordering the release of all files on Epstein, who amassed a fortune and circulated among rich and famous people.
“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,” Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The tranche of materials released Friday included photographs of former president Bill Clinton and other famous names such as pop stars Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson.
The Justice Department said it was protecting Epstein’s victims with the blackouts.
