WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice on Thursday released a series of previously withheld FBI interview reports from 2019, detailing uncorroborated allegations of abuse against Donald Trump dating back to the 1980s. The documents, known as “302 reports,” were part of a massive document dump related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation but were initially omitted due to what officials characterized as a “coding error.”
Procedural Error Leads to Document Release
The Justice Department clarified that the three interview summaries were initially withheld from a January release of millions of pages because they were incorrectly flagged as “duplicative.” Following an internal review prompted by outside inquiries, the DOJ discovered that 15 documents in total had been miscoded.
“What we found through extensive review is that a published 302… had subsequent 302s that were coded as ‘duplicative,'” the DOJ stated via social media. “We reviewed the entire batch with the similar coding and discovered 15 documents were incorrectly coded.”
While the summaries are now public, the DOJ database has yet to include the original handwritten notes from the interviews.
Details of the Allegations
The newly released reports outline four interviews conducted between July and October 2019 with a woman whose identity remains redacted. During these sessions, the witness alleged she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein and claimed that, on one occasion, Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump.
Timeline: The witness alleged the incident with Trump occurred in the early-to-mid 1980s when she was between 13 and 15 years old.
Location: The report states the woman claimed Epstein took her to New York or New Jersey, where the alleged encounter with Trump took place.
Inconsistencies: Investigative notes indicate the witness declined to provide further details regarding the Trump interaction during her final interview in October 2019. Furthermore, historical records suggest that Epstein and Trump were not in contact during the specific period cited by the witness.
White House and DOJ Response
The White House has vehemently denied the allegations, dismissed the witness’s credibility, and pointed to the DOJ’s own previous statements regarding the nature of the claims.
“These are completely baseless accusations, backed by zero credible evidence,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. She added that the DOJ’s decision not to act on the claims for four years serves as evidence that the President “did absolutely nothing wrong.”
In January, the DOJ itself cautioned that the massive Epstein file release would contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” against Trump. Officials stated at the time that the claims were “unfounded and false,” noting that any credible allegations would have likely been utilized by political opponents years ago.
New Insights into the Epstein Investigation
Beyond the Trump-related reports, the DOJ released several hundred additional pages concerning the broader investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. This includes internal memos from 2007 written by then-Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Marie Villafaña.
The memos reveal a push for aggressive prosecution that never materialized. Villafaña warned superiors that Epstein was an “extremely high flight risk” and a “continued danger to the community.” She urged the office to avoid negotiations with Epstein’s counsel to prevent him from fleeing—advice that was ultimately bypassed in favor of the controversial 2008 non-prosecution agreement that allowed Epstein to plead guilty to lesser state charges in Florida.
Political Fallout and Look Ahead
The release follows intense pressure from Congressional Democrats, who recently accused the DOJ of illegally withholding documents to shield the President. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) had previously called the withholding of these files “unconscionable.”
As the Justice Department continues to update its public database, the focus remains on whether additional redacted materials or handwritten notes will be made available. Lawmakers are expected to continue their oversight of the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files to ensure full transparency regarding the 2007 non-prosecution agreement and subsequent investigations.
