Back in February, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had begun an investigation into claims that it had withheld a large collection of documents related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, justifying the withholding of the information because it was merely “duplicative” of material that had already been turned over in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act that became law in November of 2025.
However, it turns out those documents have been sitting on an online document-sharing platform and contain “allegations of sexual abuse committed by Donald Trump” against a 13- to 15-year-old victim, according to a new report that appeared Saturday on Substack.
The documents in question are 37 pages of handwritten notes taken during a 2019 interview with “Jane Doe 4,” a South Carolina woman who accused Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual and physical abuse when she was 13 years old.
“This meant that, for the last five months, anyone with internet access could view the notes, which had Jane Doe 4’s real name all over them, as well as significant biographical details and the names of childhood friends and family members who she said could corroborate elements of her story – all of which she gave the FBI in confidence, and all of which the DOJ had redacted,” Howard-Stone explains.
Former MSNBC host Katie Phang noted Saturday that the files have basically been hiding in plain sight all along, and the allegations they contain could spell big trouble for Trump, who has repeatedly denied being a part of Epstein’s crimes.
“There also remains an open question as to the authenticity of these published notes. That question could be readily answered if the FBI would just comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act and release the notes they’ve been legally required to do,” Phang said.
“Regardless, what these notes DO show is that they are not ‘duplicative’ of the FBI 302s as Blanche has asserted and they clearly contain allegations of sexual abuse and physical abuse committed by Donald Trump with a victim who was 13-15 years old at the time. So the Trump DOJ has no incentive to release them.”
Indeed, the DOJ would appear to be running interference for Trump, and their actions could constitute a criminal act that might lead to charges against numerous Justice Department officials, including but not limited to Attorney General Todd Blanche and his predecessor in that office, former AG Pam Bondi.
The ultimate question that must be asked remains: If Trump and the DOJ have nothing to hide, why have they repeatedly thrown up obstacles to the full release of the Epstein Files? Could it be because they are protecting the president from criminal charges after he leaves office and no longer has presidential immunity?
