Epstein case: FBI redacts Trump’s name from files during internal review; DOJ defends decision

An FBI FOIA team redacted Trump’s name, and the names of other prominent public figures, from the Jeffrey Epstein files, during an internal review earlier this year. During a March review of approximately 100,000 pages of records, about 1,000 FBI agents were instructed to flag any mention of Trump, three people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.The justice department later said the review turned up no “client list” or evidence linking Trump to criminal activity, although his name appeared in Epstein’s contact book and flight logs.The team responsible for the final review of the extensive records applied the redactions before the DOJ and FBI determined last month that “no further disclosure” of the files “would be appropriate or warranted.”From the government’s standpoint, Trump was a private citizen at the time of the Epstein investigation and, as such, is entitled to privacy protections.Bloomberg reported that FBI agents had been directed to gather and review all Epstein-related material following a request by attorney general Pam Bondi. The review led to the identification of numerous references to Trump and other well-known figures. FOIA officers then redacted those names, citing privacy protections for individuals who were private citizens at the time.The redacted files were later sent to Bondi, who reportedly informed Trump in May that his name had appeared in the documents.Officials have cited privacy concerns and the protection of victims as reasons for withholding further material. The decision has drawn bipartisan criticism and renewed scrutiny over how the files have been handled.Trump earlier this week said, “The whole thing is a hoax. They ran the files. I was running against somebody that ran the files. If they had something they would have released.”