DOJ Briefly Removes Photo of Commerce Secretary with Jeffrey Epstein From Public Epstein Files, Later Restores It

Washington/New Delhi: A photograph released as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Epstein files showing U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick standing with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein’s private Caribbean island was briefly removed from the DOJ’s public archive before being restored late Thursday night.

The image, first made public last month, depicts Epstein alongside Lutnick and three other men overlooking a clifftop on Little St. James, the private island in the Caribbean where Epstein owned an estate.

The photo has been authenticated by investigative journalists and archived by third-party archival services such as the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine and independent platforms built to preserve the newly released Epstein materials.

Originally posted under the file number EFTA01230639 on the DOJ’s Epstein files portal, the link later returned a “Page not found” message, indicating the image had been removed from public view. Within hours after media inquiries, including reporting by CBS News, the DOJ restored the photo to its official online repository Thursday night.

Legal experts and transparency advocates have expressed concern over the brief removal of the content, noting that the Epstein Files Transparency Act enacted in late 2025 required the release of millions of pages of previously sealed documents related to the Epstein investigation and associates. However, department officials have indicated that content is sometimes taken down temporarily for review or redaction when issues are flagged.

Secretary Lutnick acknowledged in congressional testimony earlier this month that he visited Little St. James in 2012 with his family, describing it as a family lunch stop during a vacation. He said he had “nothing to hide” regarding his association with Epstein. Lutnick has not been accused of any criminal conduct in relation to Epstein’s crimes.

The latest episode adds another layer of scrutiny to the ongoing public release and management of Epstein-related files, which have already prompted debate over transparency, redaction standards and the handling of high-profile material involving public figures.