Washington

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has reposted a photograph of President Donald Trump that appeared in a recent release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, clarifying that the image does not depict any victims of Epstein.

In a post on X, the DOJ said the photograph had been temporarily taken down after the Southern District of New York flagged it for further examination as a precautionary measure to safeguard potential victims. Following a review, the department concluded that there was no evidence linking the image to any Epstein victims, and the photograph was restored without edits or redactions.

The DOJ explained that the removal was carried out “out of an abundance of caution” while the image was assessed. After completing the review, officials determined that no additional action was required.

Earlier, CNN had reported that at least 16 documents from the latest batch of Epstein files appeared to have been removed from the public website. One of the files taken down reportedly included the photograph of President Trump. Other temporarily unavailable materials included images of artwork, mail slots with envelopes, a tiled hallway, and a notebook page listing names and apartment numbers.

In a separate statement, the Justice Department reiterated its commitment to transparency, saying it redacts only what is legally mandated. By law, the department must withhold identifying information related to victims, minors or potential victims, as well as privileged material.

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The DOJ also stressed that no redactions are made to shield public figures or politically exposed individuals. It said it has received requests from people claiming to be victims, as well as their legal representatives, seeking the removal of certain content. In such cases, the department temporarily withdraws the material for review and republishes it with appropriate redactions if required under the law.