NPR: DOJ Withheld Epstein Files Mentioning Trump's Sexual Abuse Accusations

Recent NPR reports highlight a troubling gap in the public record regarding high-profile legal investigations. Newly uncovered details suggest that the Department of Justice kept specific documents hidden from view for an extended period. These files reportedly contain serious claims involving President Donald Trump and his alleged connection to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

An NPR investigation reveals that the Justice Department withheld specific Epstein records involving claims of sexual abuse against a minor by President Trump. Additionally, the government scrubbed certain files from its open database where allegations against Jeffrey Epstein also named Trump.

NPR reports that various documents remain hidden from the public eye, even though their release is required by law. These materials include what appear to be over 50 pages of FBI interviews, along with records of conversations with a woman who alleged that Trump sexually abused her when she was a child decades ago.

Federal Metadata Reveals Gaps in Public Archive

By examining distinct sequences of serial numbers across FBI files, emails, and legal logs from the late January document release, NPR identified significant gaps in the Epstein archive. This investigation revealed that while the Department of Justice officially catalogued dozens of these pages, they were nonetheless excluded from the public collection.

Officials at the Department of Justice initially refused to provide on-record explanations regarding the contents of these specific records or the reasons for their exclusion. Following the report's release, however, the Department contacted NPR to contest how their previous silence had been portrayed.

Spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre maintained the agency's position, asserting that any unpublished files are either protected by legal privilege, consist of duplicate material, or pertain to an active federal inquiry.

House Oversight Democrats Launch Parallel Investigation

In response to NPR's findings, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Representative Robert Garcia, D-Calif., issued a formal statement regarding the missing records. 'Yesterday, I reviewed unredacted evidence logs at the Department of Justice. Oversight Democrats can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes,' Garcia said.

Reports from The Guardian indicate that the White House declined to address the specific allegations when approached for comment. Instead, officials pointed to a recent X post that insists there has been no misconduct in the management of the documents.

Having already commenced an inquiry into the accusations against the president, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are now expanding their scope. They intend to lead a second, simultaneous investigation specifically targeting the Justice Department's decision to keep these records from public release.

Missing Records Linked to Key Maxwell Witness

Other documents hidden from the public relate to a different woman who gave vital evidence against Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking and is now asking Trump for clemency. These suppressed files involve a primary witness used by the prosecution to convict Epstein's associate.

By comparing the original January 30th files with the metadata currently on the Justice Department's website, NPR found that some records were briefly removed before being restored last week. Other documents, however, are still being kept from public view. It is NPR's policy not to identify survivors of sexual abuse.

When NPR sought a response regarding the missing records and the accusations against the president, a White House spokesperson claimed that Trump 'has done more for Epstein's victims than anyone before him.'

'Just as President Trump has said, he's been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein,' White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told NPR in a statement. 'And by releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee's subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calling for more investigations into Epstein's Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein's victims than anyone before him.'

'Meanwhile, Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Stacey Plaskett have yet to explain why they were soliciting money and meetings from Epstein after he was a convicted sex offender,' Jackson added.

Internal FBI Logs Detail Violent 1983 Allegation

Newly disclosed records show that in late July and early August 2025, the FBI shared internal reports of Epstein-related claims that included mentions of Trump. While most were dismissed as lacking credibility, one specific lead was forwarded to the FBI's Washington field office to arrange a formal interview with the accuser.

The woman who identified Trump in her account of abuse alleged that she was roughly 13 years old when Epstein introduced her to Trump in 1983. She claimed Trump forced her into a sexual act, after which she bit him, prompting him to strike her before expelling her from the room.

Evidence Points to Multiple Suppressed Interviews

Among the more than 3 million pages of documents made public by the Justice Department, this particular claim against Trump is found only within the FBI's list of allegations and the internal DOJ presentation. An examination of FBI case logs and evidence logs shared with Maxwell's legal team reveals a potential source for this claim—and highlights the level of importance investigators assigned to it.

While millions of pages have been released, specific details regarding this accuser remain largely out of reach. Records made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act—including an FBI 'Serial Report' and a list of 'Non-Testifying Witness Material' from the Maxwell trial—confirm that agents interviewed this woman four times. However, the public database contains only the first of these interviews, dated 24 July 2019, which makes no mention of Trump.

An analysis of the Maxwell discovery logs reveals that of the 15 documents listed for this specific accuser, only 7 have been included in the official Epstein files database. The missing records also include the detailed notes from three of her interviews. This inconsistency regarding the Trump accuser's file was first brought to light by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger.

By cross-referencing three separate sequences of serial numbers stamped onto the records, NPR determined that at least 53 pages of interview documents and investigative notes are absent from the public Epstein database.