Justice Department Responds to Photo Removal Controversy
On Sunday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the removal of multiple photographs from the Jeffrey Epstein case files that were published on Friday. He stated that the action was taken following requests from victim advocacy organizations and emphasized it was unrelated to former President Donald Trump.
Blanche explained that the images in question contained unredacted pictures of women. He noted that these photographs would be restored to the Justice Department's website after officials complete their review to determine if additional redactions are necessary.
Release Timeline and Criticism
The deputy attorney general faced questions regarding criticism from Democratic lawmakers about the incomplete release of Epstein documents on Friday, which was the deadline established by the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed by Congress last month.
Blanche attributed the delay to the extensive process required to redact victims' names and personal information from the files. "We're going through a very methodical process with hundreds of lawyers looking at every single document," he told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker.
Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who helped lead the legislative effort for document release, expressed disappointment with the initial disclosure. He called for Attorney General Pam Bondi and Blanche to provide a clear timeline for complete transparency.
Bipartisan Reactions
Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, accused the Justice Department of violating the law by not releasing all documents by the Friday deadline. He pledged that Democrats would investigate what he called a violation of law.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who collaborated with Khanna on the legislation, criticized the document withdrawal as "government lies" in a social media post on Sunday.
Blanche responded to critics by stating they were "the same individuals who apparently don't want us to protect victims." He added, "If they have an issue with me protecting victims, they know how to get a hold of me, but we're not going to stop doing it."
Specific Photo Concerns
Among the removed materials was a photograph showing a tabletop with framed pictures of Epstein alongside notable individuals. An open drawer in the image contained printed photos of Trump with women in swimwear.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee questioned the removal of this particular image in a social media post, asking, "What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public."
Blanche firmly denied any attempt to conceal information related to Trump, stating, "I have no reason to believe that the lawyers that were working on this case were talking about President Trump, because he had nothing to do with the Epstein files."
He concluded by asserting that the narrative suggesting redactions were made to protect political figures was "completely false" and not based on factual information.
