The FBI removed Donald Trump’s name from nearly 100,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein’s files during a March review. Internal directives told agents to flag any mention of Trump for redaction. The directive applied to other public figures too.
Justice Department officials said the review uncovered no client lists or proof tying Trump to wrongdoing. Trump’s name appeared in Epstein’s address book and travel logs, but investigators found no criminal links. Newsweek reached out to the FBI for comment.
President Trump and White House officials recently insisted there is no cause to release the remaining files. This stance persists despite calls from Trump supporters to honor a promise to publish all documents.
Bloomberg reported that FBI agents searched tens of thousands of pages at Attorney General Pam Bondi, then-Florida Attorney General’s request. Agents flagged names of private citizens, including Trump, then redacted them under the Freedom of Information Act rules.
After redaction, the files went to Bondi. She told Trump in May that his name appeared in the records. In early July, the Justice Department and FBI issued a joint statement saying no further documents should be released.
The statement noted that privacy and victim protections justified withholding more files. Critics from both parties have voiced concerns over the process and lack of transparency.
Trump said he believes former President Barack Obama and others were also in the files. He claimed that Obama’s name was added without basis.
Trump and Epstein first met in the late 1980s in New York. They remained friendly for about 15 years. In 2002 Trump called Epstein a “great guy” in New York magazine. Trump says they fell out long before Epstein’s 2019 arrest.
Epstein, convicted of sexual assault, killed himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking trial. His private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands hosted lavish parties and, prosecutors say, minors were abused there. Some victims were as young as 11.
In 2020 the U.S. Virgin Islands reached a $105 million settlement with Epstein’s estate. This followed allegations that Epstein transported minors and young women for exploitation.
Travel logs show Trump used Epstein’s jet for at least eight flights from New York to Florida between 1993 and 1997. Questions remain about whether Trump ever visited Epstein’s island.
Trump told reporters on Monday that he never had a chance to visit and he declined any invitation.
On Thursday Trump called the saga “a hoax” and said files were stolen and leaked. He added that if authorities had evidence, they would have released it.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California said Trump broke campaign promises to publish the files. He accused Trump of hiding something and urged full disclosure.
As Trump works to distance himself, pressure grows from both sides for more transparency. Questions about possible undisclosed records continue to swirl around the case.
