Epstein Files: Trump's name redacted by Trump's FBI

In March 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel ordered agents to review over 100,000 Epstein-related documents at the Central Records Complex in Virginia. Agents flagged Trump’s name, redacting it under FOIA Exemptions 6 and 7(C), citing privacy protections for private citizens, as Trump was in 2006 when the Epstein probe began.

Other high-profile names were also blacked out. Attorney General Pam Bondi, informed in May 2025 that Trump’s name appeared, had pushed for transparency but faced setbacks. On July 8, 2025, the DOJ and FBI jointly stated that further disclosures were not “appropriate or warranted.”

A page from Epstein’s “black book,” containing the names of various contacts, which included Trump.

The decision followed Bondi’s failed February 27 White House event, where 200 pages of “declassified” Epstein files, including his “black book” listing Trump and Melania, proved previously released. Bondi demanded answers from Patel, who blamed Michael Seidel, RIDS section chief. Seidel, vocal against the redactions, retired under pressure.

No evidence in the files suggested wrongdoing by Trump or others named, per DOJ findings. The FBI’s use of privacy exemptions aligns with precedent, as seen in redactions of Donald Trump Jr.’s name in the Mueller report. Disclosure of Trump’s name would not clarify FBI misconduct or Epstein’s investigation, officials said.

Trump’s supporters, expecting transparency, expressed outrage online. Patel’s Senate testimony promising public access to Epstein truths went unfulfilled. The DOJ noted 300 gigabytes of Epstein data exist, but court-ordered seals limit releases. Trump, denying any scandal, attacked critics on Truth Social.