An internal DOJ email from June 2021 reporting the discovery of a photograph of Donald Trump with Ghislaine Maxwell on Steve Bannon's iPhone 7 during a forensic examination related to the 'We Build the Wall' investigation.

This email documents a significant cross-case discovery by federal investigators. While examining Steve Bannon's iPhone 7 using Cellebrite forensic software as part of the 'We Build the Wall' criminal probe, an investigator found and flagged a photo of Donald Trump with Ghislaine Maxwell. The investigator noted they were flagging it for a colleague working on 'both cases,' suggesting overlap between the Bannon investigation and an Epstein-related matter. This document became nationally significant in December 2025 when the DOJ initially redacted the referenced photo entirely from the Epstein files release, sparking controversy before eventually restoring it.

Key Highlights

• •Forensic examination of Steve Bannon's iPhone 7 revealed a Trump-Maxwell photograph
• •Discovery was made during the 'We Build the Wall' (WBTW) criminal investigation into Bannon
• •Investigator flagged the photo for a colleague handling 'both cases,' indicating Epstein connection
• •The attached photo was initially fully redacted in December 2025 DOJ release despite Epstein Files Transparency Act only requiring victim redactions
• •Cellebrite digital forensics tools were used to extract the image

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