Epstein files release: At least 16 files disappear from DOJ web page day after release – what are they?

At least 16 Epstein files from the DOJ's online repository have mysteriously disappeared just a day after they were released, including a Trump photo.

Published on: Dec 21, 2025, 07:31:21 IST

By Shirin Gupta

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At least 16 files from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) online repository of Epstein files have mysteriously disappeared just a day after they were posted under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Among the missing material was a photograph showing former President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Trump photo disappeared from DOJ website one day after release of Epstein Files (U.S. Department of Justice via AP) (AP)

The files were made public on December 19 as part of a congressional mandate that the DOJ release tens of thousands of documents related to Epstein’s case by that date.

Which files disappeared?

The disappeared files included a set of images and documents that had been briefly accessible on the DOJ webpage before they were removed without explanation.

House Oversight Democrats highlighted on X that the DOJ’s list of released files jumped from EFTA00000467 to EFTA00000469, strongly indicating that EFTA00000468, the file containing the Trump photo, was removed from the public index after initial publication.

They wrote, “This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump, has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release. @AGPamBondi, is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public.”

Among the pictures with Trump and Melania, the 16 missing files also included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers in which the Trump-Melania picture was found.

The initially released files contained heavy redactions and omitted key categories of documents, including

FBI interviews with Epstein survivors and victims’ accounts.
Internal DOJ memos examining charging decisions
Complete records involving powerful figures historically associated with Epstein

After the release, democrats like AOC took to X, calling for Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel's resignation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shirin Gupta
Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More

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