DOJ Withholds Epstein Files Tied to Woman's Allegations Against Trump
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice is under scrutiny for not releasing critical summaries and notes from three interviews conducted by the FBI with a South Carolina woman. This woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein and has also made allegations against former President Donald Trump, as revealed by an analysis of the Epstein files.
These documents are notably absent from the unredacted collection available for congressional review, according to Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who leads the House Oversight Committee.
Shortly after Epstein's arrest in 2019, the woman provided federal authorities with a detailed account of her assault on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, when she was just 13 years old in or around 1984. This information was summarized in an FBI interview released by the DOJ.
The FBI deemed her initial allegations against Epstein serious enough to warrant follow-up interviews on four occasions: July 24, August 7, August 20, and October 16 of 2019, as documented in evidence related to Ghislaine Maxwell's case. However, only the summary from the July 24 interview has been made public.
This July interview details allegations of repeated sexual abuse by Epstein but does not mention any claims against Trump. Yet, a source familiar with the investigation confirmed that this survivor is also the individual who alleged being coerced into a sexual act with Trump at age 13 in New Jersey.
It remains unclear whether discussions regarding Trump's alleged misconduct occurred during the other interviews that have not been released.
In response to inquiries, the White House pointed to a previous DOJ statement asserting that the released documents may contain false claims submitted to the FBI before the 2020 election. The statement emphasized that these allegations against Trump are unfounded and lacked credibility.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department reiterated that all responsive documents were produced, except those categorized as duplicates, privileged, or part of an ongoing investigation.
The alleged assault involving Trump was mentioned in an August 2025 document from the FBI’s Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force. This document summarized claims reported to the National Threat Operations Center, most of which were deemed not credible or came from individuals without contact information.
Additionally, the alleged assault is referenced in an FBI presentation summarizing the broader Epstein case. When this summary was released alongside other records on January 30, the White House directed reporters to a DOJ press release reiterating that some documents contained sensationalist claims against Trump.
The law governing the release of Epstein files permits the DOJ to withhold records containing victim information or materials related to child sexual abuse that could jeopardize ongoing investigations. It explicitly prohibits withholding documents based on embarrassment or political sensitivity.
The South Carolina woman filed a lawsuit against Epstein's estate in 2019, as indicated by court filings and DOJ-released Epstein files. Her identity remains undisclosed, and attempts to reach her attorney have gone unanswered.
Independent journalist Roger Sollenberger and NPR first reported on the missing files. The White House responded to inquiries about these accusations against Trump by stating that he has been fully exonerated regarding any Epstein-related matters. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson emphasized Trump's cooperation with investigations and his actions benefiting Epstein's victims.
In a November 18 interview, Rep. Jeffries denied any recollection of an email seeking funds from Epstein and stated he had never interacted with him.
Rep. Garcia expressed frustration after visiting the DOJ to review unredacted files, stating he could not find any of the missing documents. He believes this absence indicates a potential cover-up. “Why are these documents missing? I know who the survivor is; I saw documents that should be there,” he remarked. “The FBI clearly investigated, and now those documents are gone.”
