A senior Democratic lawmaker in Congress has accused the U.S. Justice Department of withholding FBI interviews with a woman who alleged that Donald Trump sexually abused her as a minor. The interviews were reportedly excluded from the public release of more than three million documents connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, confirmed media reports suggesting that over 50 pages detailing the woman’s allegations were withheld. Garcia noted that the FBI had interviewed her four times, but only the first, incomplete interview was publicly released.
“The fact that DOJ is suppressing documents alleging President Trump’s commission of sexual abuse of an underage victim only heightens my genuine concerns about a White House cover-up,” Garcia wrote in a letter to the department.
Justice Department Response
The Justice Department said it is reviewing whether any remaining Epstein-related documents were improperly withheld and indicated they would be released if appropriate. The department has previously cautioned that some released materials include unverified or sensational claims about Trump.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson reiterated that Trump had been “totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein.” Law enforcement authorities have not charged Trump in connection with Epstein.
Background
Trump, who socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and maintains that he severed ties before Epstein’s 2008 conviction for solicitation of a minor. Evidence from the 2021 trial of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell shows Trump traveled on Epstein’s plane multiple times, though Trump denies this, and he also disputes the authenticity of a suggestive note apparently signed by him.
Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges; his death was ruled a suicide.
Analysis
The dispute highlights tensions over transparency in the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein-related documents. Democrats argue that withholding interviews could obscure key information about allegations against a sitting president, while the department emphasizes victim protection and the processing challenges of millions of documents.
How the DOJ responds and whether additional documents are released could have political ramifications, especially as Trump remains a central figure in U.S. politics.
With information from Reuters.
