The DOJ said the photo was initially taken down "out of an abundance of caution" after the Southern District of New York flagged it for additional review to protect potential victims. (Department of Justice)
Earlier Sunday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the removal of the photo had "nothing to do with President Trump" and was instead driven by concerns for the women depicted, he said during an appearance on NBC’s "Meet the Press."
The explanation came after reports that at least 16 files had disappeared from the DOJ’s Epstein-related public webpage less than a day after they were posted on Friday, without public notice or an initial explanation, The Associated Press reported.
EPSTEIN FILES EXPLODE OPEN AS DOJ DETAILS DISCOVERY OF POWERFUL FIGURES AND MORE THAN 1,200 VICTIMS
The Department of Justice released a trove of Epstein documents on Dec. 19 following President Trump's signature on the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
The DOJ released the trove of files after The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by President Trump on Nov. 19, 2025, required AG Pam Bondi to release all unclassified records, communications and investigative materials related to Epstein within 30 days.
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The agency posted thousands of pages on a government website Friday related to Epstein's and Maxwell’s sex-trafficking cases. The files were released as the result of a deadline imposed by the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Fox News Digital's Lori Bashian contributed to this report.
Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-restores-trump-photo-epstein-files-after-determining-no-victims-depicted