Justice Department Removes Photo of Commerce Secretary Lutnick with Jeffrey Epstein

For a brief moment, the image was public.

Then it disappeared.

A photograph released last month by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files showing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick standing beside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein’s private Caribbean island has now been removed from the DOJ’s website.

The deletion is raising fresh questions about transparency in the government’s handling of Epstein-related materials.

What Was in the Photo?

According to reporting by CBS News, the image was authenticated and showed Lutnick alongside Epstein and three other men standing over an oceanside cliff on Little St. James Epstein’s private island.

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The photo was originally published under DOJ file number EFTA01230639.

Now?

The link leads to a “Page not found” error.

However, the image did not vanish entirely. The nonprofit Internet Archive preserved a copy through its Wayback Machine on January 31, and it was also archived by Jmail, a web interface designed to preserve Epstein-related content.

Emails Reveal 2012 Island Visit Plans

Newly released Epstein files reportedly include emails from 2012 showing that Lutnick, his wife, and their four children had planned a visit to Little St. James the island where Epstein maintained an estate.

There is no public evidence suggesting wrongdoing by Lutnick in connection with the photo. However, the optics of the image and its quiet removal are fueling political scrutiny.

CBS News has reached out to both the Commerce Department and the Justice Department for comment. As of publication, no public explanation has been issued regarding why the image was taken down.

Why the Removal Matters

The Epstein files continue to draw national attention because they potentially expose the social networks of one of the most notorious criminal figures in recent history.

When materials are released and then removed without explanation, it creates three immediate problems:

1. It fuels speculation.

2. It damages public trust.

3. It intensifies political backlash.

At a time when transparency is already under intense public scrutiny, even technical removals can carry significant political weight.

The Bigger Picture

The Epstein case has entangled powerful figures across politics, finance, academia, and media for years. Each new document release and each unexplained disappearance keeps the story alive.

Whether the removal was routine, administrative, or deliberate, one thing is certain:

In the digital age, nothing truly disappears.

And when it does, people notice.