The U.S. Justice Department on Sunday reposted an image from its Jeffrey Epstein files that includes a photograph of former President Donald Trump, after temporarily removing it for review.
According to the department, the image was taken down as part of an internal re-examination process and was restored once officials confirmed it did not contain photographs of Epstein’s victims. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the review was routine and emphasized that the department was “not redacting information around President Trump.”
The image that was reposted belongs to a wider online release of files associated with Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose case still attracts public and political attention. The Justice Department has been asked about the timing and extent of the disclosures.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a co-author of the legislation governing the release of the Epstein files, criticized the administration for what he described as excessive redactions and incomplete disclosure. While appearing on CBS’s Face the Nation, Massie charged the authorities with “disregarding the law both in its spirit and in its letter” as they did not make available all the documents they were supposed to on that Friday.
The U.S. government, meanwhile, revealed that the Coast Guard had made an effort to prevent an oil tanker from going to Venezuela without carrying any cargo on Saturday. The oil tanker, which has already been sanctioned by the U.S. for transporting Iranian oil in the past, allegedly did not obey the order and kept sailing.An official characterized the case as one of ongoing chase. The Coast Guard successfully boarded another tanker earlier the same day.
The Justice Department has said further reviews of Epstein-related materials may continue as part of the ongoing release process.