US responds to allegations of Trump censorship in Epstein documents

US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has responded to criticism that documents belonging to billionaire Jeffrey Epstein—who was accused of establishing a sex trafficking ring involving minors and was found dead in prison—were censored because they were linked to US President Donald Trump. The temporary removal of numerous documents, including a photograph featuring Trump, from the website publicly known as the "Epstein Library" had sparked controversy.

"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP"

Speaking on the criticism, Blanche emphasized that the removal of the photograph featuring Trump was not based on political motives, stating, "This has nothing to do with President Trump." Blanche noted that decisions regarding such images are made within the framework of victim rights.

Detailing the process regarding the removed images, Blanche stated, "When we receive notification from victim rights groups regarding such photos, we remove the photo and launch an investigation. Our investigation into the photo (in which Trump appears) is still ongoing. The photo will be released again, and the only question is whether there will be any redaction in the photo."

"WE ARE GOING THROUGH A VERY METHODICAL PROCESS"

Addressing criticism that not all Epstein files were released by the deadline set by the US Congress, Blanche explained that redacting the names and images of victims takes time. Stating that the process is being conducted meticulously, Blanche said, "We are going through a very methodical process where hundreds of lawyers review every single document and ensure that the names of the victims and all information coming from the victims are protected and redacted. This is exactly what the Transparency Act envisions."

"WE ARE CONTINUING THE PROCESS TO PROTECT VICTIMS"

Stating that new documents will be shared with the public as reviews are completed, Blanche explained the reason for continuing the process with the following words:

"The reason we continue to review the documents and continue the process is to protect the victims. It appears that the people complaining about the lack of documents released on Friday are the same people who do not want us to protect the victims."

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: PHOTO RE-RELEASED WITHOUT CENSORSHIP

In a written statement from the US Department of Justice, it was reported that the photograph featuring Trump, which was among the released Epstein documents, had been temporarily taken offline for review. The statement said, "Following the review, it was determined that there was no evidence that any of Epstein's victims appeared in the photo, and the photo was re-released without any changes or censorship." Along with the statement, the Department of Justice also shared the link providing access to the photograph.

News Source: İHA