DOJ Scrambles to Protect Trump Ahead of New Epstein Files Dump With Wild Damage Control Statement

The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a combative defense of President Donald Trump on Tuesday ahead of the release of a third tranche of Jeffrey Epstein records, arguing pre-emptively that some files contained “unfounded and false” claims about the president.

The documents form part of a long-promised release of Epstein files, legally mandated under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, with this third batch comprising the largest release since Friday – amounting to almost 30,000 documents.

The convicted sex offender’s association with powerful figures across politics, finance, and media has been under keen scrutiny, and, eager to get ahead of any political fallout, the DOJ issued a caveat to its announcement.

“Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,” the department said in a post on X.

It added: “Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims.”

Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act last month, requiring Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified Epstein-related materials within 30 days. Trump signed the bill into law on November 19. While the statute allows redactions to protect victims’ identities, critics say the department has gone far beyond that remit.

The DOJ has come under criticism from lawmakers after two earlier dumps over the weekend that amounted to fewer than 10,000 pages, per NBC News – a fraction of what officials had suggested would be made public – which contained redactions some believed had gone far beyond the redactions allowed by the bill.

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