DOJ Ordered Review of 302 Interviews, Same Type Now Absent From Epstein Files
A fresh dispute is growing over the Epstein files release after new reporting suggested dozens of FBI interview records may be missing from what the Justice Department put online.
The stakes are political and legal because some of the gaps appear tied to an allegation involving President Donald Trump, while DOJ insists the public release was handled properly and nothing was deleted.
CNN reported that evidence logs tied to Ghislaine Maxwell’s case list roughly 325 FBI witness interview records, commonly called 302s, but CNN’s review found more than 90 of those records don’t appear on DOJ’s Epstein files website.
CNN also reported three of the apparently missing entries relate to a woman who accused Trump of sexual assault decades ago, with the logs listing additional 302s and “interview notes” dated in 2019 that were not found in the public database.
Related: NPR Exposes 53 Missing Epstein Pages After Trump Named in Underage Assault Allegation
One key complication is that the “missing” category can include documents temporarily removed for victim redactions, duplicates, privilege claims, or records tied to active investigations, depending on the government’s explanation.
“We have not deleted anything, and as we have always said, all documents responsive were produced,” a DOJ spokesperson told CNN.
House Oversight Democrats say they are investigating whether records were unlawfully withheld, and The Guardian reported NPR’s review pointed to more than 50 pages of FBI interview material tied to the Trump-related allegation that were not included in the public release.
DOJ’s public stance is that the release was compliant and that sensational claims about Trump included in submissions to the FBI are “unfounded and false.”
What happens next is likely a document-by-document audit: lawmakers requesting unredacted logs, reporters matching Bates numbers to uploads, and DOJ facing pressure to explain exactly why specific 302s can’t be found.
Related: House Democrats Launch Probe After NPR Finds 53 Missing Pages in Trump-Linked Epstein Files