Three FBI memos from 2019 contain explicit but unsubstantiated allegations that Donald Trump sexually abused a minor in the early 1980s with the assistance of Jeffrey Epstein.
The Department of Justice did not include the records when it released millions of pages related to the Epstein investigation beginning in December.
The existence of the missing memos was first reported by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger and later confirmed by NPR, prompting scrutiny in Washington and an inquiry by congressional Democrats. The Guardian obtained 302 reports, which summarise 25 pages of notes from four interviews conducted in 2019. Only the first interview, in which Trump was not named, was included in the public release.
The woman’s allegations have not been verified, and no charges were brought by the FBI in connection with her claims.
Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing related to Epstein, stating last week, “I did nothing.”
An administration official told The Guardian that the memos were classified as duplicative and not legally required to be released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The DoJ told NPR that nothing had been deleted and that withheld material was either duplicative or privileged.
The interviews describe allegations of abuse by Epstein beginning in 1983 and include claims involving Trump that agents documented but did not substantiate. The Guardian reported it was unable to corroborate key elements of the account. Lawmakers, including Representative Robert Garcia and Representative James Comer, have called for further review of the missing records.