Multiple media outlets reported over the weekend that about 15 to 16 photos initially uploaded Friday as part of the Epstein files release had been deleted by the DOJ, fueling speculation of a cover-up to protect President Donald Trump. This redacted photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows files documented on Aug. 12, 2019, during a search of Jeffrey Epstein’s home on Little St. James Island in the US Virgin Islands. (AP) A day after reports claimed that more than a dozen files related to disgraced financier and convicted pedophile Jeffed’Epstein had ‘vanished’ from the US Department’s website. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the move to take down the photos. Several media outlets, including the New York Post, reported over the weekend that approximately 15 to 16 photos initially uploaded on Friday had been deleted by the DOJ. Reports also claimed that one of the deleted photos – ‘file 468’ – showed an open drawer with a printed photo of President Donald Trump, sparking speculation that the DOJ was covering up evidence and trying to protect POTUS. However, Blanche dismissed the speculation on Sunday, admitting that some photos were indeed removed and explaining the reason behind the removals. ‘Nothing to do with Trump’ In an interview with NBC for its ‘Meet the Press’ program, Blanche said Sunday that photos, including one showing President Donald Trump, had been removed but at the behest of victim advocacy groups to protect people’s identities. “You can see in that photo there are photos of women. And so we learned after the release of that photo that there was concern about those women and the fact that we put that photo up. So we took that photo down. It has nothing to do with President Trump,” Blanche told NBC. Blanche’s comments are the latest in the saga involving the Epstein files, whose release was ordered by Congress after a bipartisan effort to release the material overcame Trump’s own objections to it. DOJ faces harsh criticism As part of the release mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the DOJ on Friday released thousands of pages of records, including flight logs, grand jury transcripts and contact lists, as well as never-before-seen photos found in Epstein’s possession. In Friday’s release, several figures associated with Epstein were seen in the photos or mentioned in the files, including former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew (now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor), as well as celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Richard Branson among others. Trump, meanwhile, was seen in a printed photo showing him, Melania Trump, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. Another heavily edited photo shows Epstein holding a $22,500 novelty check with Trump’s signature. Hours, after the release of the files, 15 to 16 specific files (including the photo of Trump) reportedly disappeared from the DOJ website, leading critics to question the timing. Critics have pointed out that heavy redactions — one 119-page document labeled ‘Grand Jury-NY’ was completely redacted — run counter to the nature of full disclosure required by the aforementioned transparency law. The DOJ, for its part, responded to the wave of harsh criticism by saying, “Photos and other materials will continue to be reviewed and redacted in accordance with the law in an abundance of caution as we receive additional information.” However, a day later, on Sunday, the DOJ released the Grand Jury document with “minimal redactions.” When a journalist pointed out that the DOJ had redacted a document that had been uploaded with minor redactions in January 2024 (and was still available on the website), the department washed its hands. “Redactions were applied to those documents when they were filed in the respective court cases at the time. We reproduced the documents as we had them in our possession,” the DOJ said. Get latest real-time updates Stay updated with latest trends, India, world and US news. Business NewsNewsUs NewsEpstein files: Removals have ‘nothing to do’ with Trump, says Todd Blanche as dozens of photos disappear from DOJ’s website.