In their statement, they indicated: "This is an attempt by the White House to hide the truth," highlighting their dissatisfaction with the situation.
According to AP, some files were removed less than a day after their publication. Among the lost materials are photographs of paintings featuring nude women and images that were placed in boxes. One of these images captured Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate.
Justice Department representatives have not yet explained the reasons for the removal of these files or confirmed whether it was done intentionally. There has also been no response to Associated Press's request for comment. Earlier, the department stated that the publication of documents would occur in stages, due to the need to protect personal data.
AP emphasizes that the tens of thousands of documents previously released did not bring significant news to the case, as key materials are missing, such as FBI interviews with victims and internal memoranda regarding decisions made. However, the published documents confirm that prosecutors had a serious case against Epstein as early as 2007, although no charges were filed at that time.
Jeffrey Epstein, convicted in 2008 of organizing prostitution and sentenced for the rape of a minor, was arrested again in the summer of 2019 and charged with trafficking girls, including 14-year-olds. In August 2019, the 66-year-old billionaire took his own life in prison, before awaiting trial. Ghislaine Maxwell, his accomplice, is currently serving a 20-year sentence for aiding in sex trafficking.
In November, Donald Trump signed a law requiring the Justice Department to declassify and publish all materials related to the Epstein case by December 19.
