The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is facing intense scrutiny following reports that at least 16 files—including a significant photograph featuring President Donald Trump—have disappeared from its public
database of Jeffrey Epstein investigative records. The documents were initially released on December 19 under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law signed by Trump himself just a month earlier. However, less than 24 hours after being posted, several files became inaccessible without any formal explanation or notice from the government.
The most controversial of the missing documents, originally labelled File 468, reportedly featured a photograph found inside a desk drawer during the FBI’s investigation. The image depicted Donald Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein, Melania Trump, and Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Other missing files allegedly included images of paintings and various investigative photographs from Epstein’s properties. While the DOJ has not officially commented on whether the removals were intentional or a technical error, the “mystery of File 468” has already triggered a firestorm on social media and in the halls of Congress.
Democratic leaders have been quick to label the disappearing files a potential “cover-up.” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer characterised the handling of the release as potentially “one of the biggest cover-ups in American history”, while the House Oversight Committee’s Democratic minority demanded immediate transparency from Attorney General Pam Bondi. Critics argue that the removals, combined with heavy redactions—including a 119-page grand jury document that was entirely blacked out—violate the spirit and letter of the transparency law.
In contrast, the White House has defended the administration’s record, with a spokesperson asserting that they have been the “most transparent in history” by facilitating the release of hundreds of thousands of pages. Trump allies have instead pointed to the numerous photos of former President Bill Clinton included in the dump as evidence of the administration’s impartiality. However, legal scholars and co-sponsors of the Transparency Act, such as Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, have expressed dissatisfaction with the “rolling basis” of the release, arguing that the law mandated a complete disclosure by the December 19 deadline. As the DOJ prepares for further document dumps in the coming weeks, the focus remains squarely on whether the deleted files will be restored or if their disappearance marks a new chapter in the long-standing intrigue surrounding Epstein’s powerful associates.
