Washington DC [US], December 22 (ANI): At least 16 files released in the batch of Jeffrey Epstein documents by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) appear to have been removed from the website, as of Sunday morning (local time), CNN reported.

CNN had reported on Saturday that one of the files removed included a photograph of US President Donald Trump.

Among other files that appear to have been removed, the majority depicted explicit artwork, showed mail slots filled with envelopes, a tiled hallway, and a notebook page with names and apartment numbers.

Earlier on Saturday, the Department of Justice clarified that the recently released Jeffrey Epstein-related documents are being redacted solely to protect victims, and no politicians' names are being withheld.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, 'The only redactions being applied to the documents are those required by law -- full stop. Consistent with the statute and applicable laws, we are not redacting the names of individuals or politicians unless they are a victim.'

'The Justice Department is not redacting the names of any politicians. As Todd Blanche made clear: 'The only redactions being applied to the documents are those required by law -- full stop. Consistent with the statute and applicable laws, we are not redacting the names of individuals or politicians unless they are a victim',' the US Department of Justice wrote on X.

The release follows federal judges' approval to unseal grand jury materials in cases against Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, allowing the DOJ to publish the highly anticipated records, CNN reported.

US President Donald Trump's name is rarely mentioned in the batch of Epstein files, based on a preliminary New York Times scan of thousands of documents and hundreds of photographs.

Trump and Financier Jeffrey Epstein were close friends for years, The Times has reported, and Trump's initial refusal to release federal files related to investigations into Epstein sparked speculation about whether those files featured Trump. His allies have previously confirmed that his name appears in the files about Epstein. (ANI)