Democrats launch inquiry into DOJ handling of Epstein files linked to Trump accusation

House Democrats say they will investigate whether the Justice Department withheld FBI materials tied to a woman's accusation against Donald Trump; the DOJ denies improper withholding and outside reporting found some Epstein-related records were not publicly released.

House Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said they will investigate whether the U.S. Department of Justice withheld FBI material connected to an accusation against President Donald Trump. Committee leaders said they reviewed evidence logs and contend some FBI interviews were not made public. The DOJ denied improperly withholding documents and said some files were temporarily pulled for victim redactions or other permitted reasons. Reporting from NPR and The New York Times found FBI summaries and other pages that were catalogued but not included in the public release. Key points: - Democrats say the committee will probe whether FBI interviews and related records about a woman who accused Mr. Trump were omitted from the published Epstein files. - Ranking member Robert Garcia said he reviewed unredacted evidence logs, described possible withholding, and referenced the committee's subpoena and the Epstein Files Transparency Act. - The Department of Justice said no files were deleted, that documents may be temporarily removed for redactions, and that all responsive records have been produced except duplicates, privileged materials, or items part of ongoing investigations. - NPR and The New York Times reported that some FBI interview summaries and catalogued pages were not included in the tranche released to the public. Summary: The congressional inquiry is underway and the committee has cited a subpoena and the Epstein Files Transparency Act as the basis for seeking records; the DOJ continues to deny improper withholding. Public access to the disputed documents remains unclear and further review by Congress is expected.