US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday that all materials involving United States President Donald Trump in documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be released, UNN reports with reference to The Hill.
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"The White House has said that President Trump is included in the files. Can you guarantee that every mention and every photo of President Trump in the 'Epstein files' will be released?" Blanche was asked on NBC News.
"Yes, yes, I've said it three, four times, we've said it before, and President Trump has said it repeatedly even before he was elected. And since he was elected, all summer, he's been saying the same thing: 'I have nothing to hide,'" Blanche said.
"And so, of course, that's the case. But let me just make sure everyone understands that if he, quote, 'is in the Epstein files,' it's not because he had any connection to horrific crimes, period. But yes, if President Trump is mentioned, if we have photos of President Trump or anyone else, they will, of course, be released, with the exception of any victims or survivors we have identified," he added.
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For the past few months, the Trump administration has faced intense scrutiny over its handling of Epstein-related documents, from both Democrats and Republicans, and over the president's relationship with the disgraced financier.
Earlier, Blanche stated that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) was not going to release all "Epstein files" as required by new legislation. However, last Friday, the department released some of the documents. On Saturday, several more documents were released.
The US Deputy Attorney General said his department was going to release "several hundred thousand" documents, Fox News reported. He later added that "over the next few weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more." Blanche explained the delay in the documents by the need to redact names and information that could identify witnesses.
However, on Saturday, several media outlets reported that 16 documents, including photos of the US President, had been removed from the US Department of Justice website.
In response to the removal, the US Department of Justice stated that "photos and other materials will continue to be reviewed and edited in accordance with the law with great care as additional information becomes available."
On Sunday, Blanche said the removal "has nothing to do" with the US President and that it was done at the request of victim advocacy groups.
Lawmakers, such as US House Representative Republican Thomas Massie, who, along with US House Representative Democrat Ro Khanna, led the initiative to release Epstein-related documents, criticized the administration for partially releasing the documents.
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On December 19, the US Department of Justice began publishing thousands of new documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case. CBS News found that at least 550 pages were completely redacted. These documents contain photos of famous people, images from his homes, and investigation protocols detailing the accusations against the late sex offender.