The Epstein files Trump’s DOJ is withholding

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration isn’t being honest about the Epstein files.

What’s happening? After about 3 million new documents from the Epstein files — the collected materials from DOJ’s multiple Epstein investigations — were released late last month, DOJ said that nothing had been withheld “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.” 

Now, it appears that was untrue. In new reporting Tuesday by NPR, we learned that more than 50 pages of material potentially related to President Donald Trump have either been withheld or taken down, contrary to the 2025 law mandating their release (in some cases, materials taken down have since been restored).

What do the documents say? Some of the unreleased materials, according to NPR, appear to be FBI interview notes and transcripts from multiple interviews with a woman who accused both Trump and Epstein of sexual abuse in the early 1980s, when she was 13 years old. 

We don’t know specifics about what the unreleased interview materials might allege, and as my colleague Andrew Prokop points out, there is plenty in the files that is unsubstantiated. But there’s at least some reason to believe that the unreleased documents could touch on allegations of misconduct by Trump, and either way, DOJ’s failure to release them appears to be in clear violation of the law.

What’s the context? The release of the Epstein files has been a mess. Not only did the Trump administration blow past the 30-day deadline imposed by Congress to release the files, but DOJ also released the unredacted names of dozens of Epstein victims and unredacted nude photos in the process.

The sheer volume of material — and their chaotic, often unverified nature — means we’re still learning more about what the files say and what may be missing. That means these kinds of revelations may continue, though no more major document releases are expected from DOJ.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Hi readers, here’s a more substantive bit of good news to log off with: My colleague Zack Beauchamp is out with his most recent piece in Vox’s “America after Trump” series. It’s all about how other countries — Brazil, South Korea, and Poland — successfully saved their democracies, and how their experience offers a hopeful lesson for the US. You can read the full story with a gift link here.

Alternatively, if you want something lighter for your Tuesday evening, here’s a sled dog stealing a camera — and accidentally recording the heist. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!