The Department of Justice has kept nearly 48,000 files related to probe into Jeffrey Epstein from the public, despite having released over 2 million pages of documents in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The initial legally required document releases totaled more than 3 million pages. However, that number has now decreased to approximately 2.7 million, as per an analysis conducted by CBS News and The Wall Street Journal.
A representative from the Justice Department informed the news outlets that “47,635 files were offline” for additional review and are expected to be ready for re-production by the end of the week.
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Here’s what offline Epstein files contain
According to a previous report by The Independent, the offline files in question contain materials related to unverified allegations against President Donald Trump.
Natalie Baldassarre, a spokesperson for the Justice Department, told The Independent that the team is working tirelessly to address the concerns of victims, redact personally identifiable information, and remove any images of a sexual nature. All relevant documents will be made available online again once the necessary redactions have been completed, the representative added.
The Justice Department was mandated by federal law to disclose millions of files, which encompass emails, court documents, photographs, and videos, a significant number of which contain images or references to prominent individuals, including the president.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has previously stated that the Justice Department has retained duplicate files, files that could jeopardize ongoing probe, child sexual abuse material, and files that would disclose the personal information of survivors.
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Trump denies any wrongdoing
Trump has consistently denied any misconduct and maintains that he severed connections with Epstein years prior to the wealthy pedophile — who took his own life in a New York City jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges — being investigated.
The POTUS has described attempts to disclose the complete files as a “hoax” orchestrated by Democratic officials to divert attention from his agenda, and he has initiated legal action against The Wall Street Journal regarding the publication of a purported letter to Epstein, a narrative he has termed “false, malicious and defamatory.”
Following legislation enacted by Trump in November, the Justice Department was mandated to release all documents related to investigations involving Epstein by December 19.
Trump’s name is mentioned thousands of times within the documents. The president interacted with Epstein during the 1990s and 2000s, and Epstein once referred to himself as the president’s “closest friend.”