Both houses of Congress have consented to mandate the release of files on convicted sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein by the US Justice Department.
The House of Representatives passed the measure overwhelmingly with a 427-1 vote, and the Senate expedited it without a formal vote.
These actions occurred shortly after President Donald Trump changed his stance and encouraged Congress to vote in favor of making the records public following significant backlash from a portion of his supporters.
Recently, Trump and his association with Epstein returned to media attention after over 20,000 pages of documents – some mentioning the president – were made public. The White House denied any misconduct.
Republican Clay Higgins from Louisiana was the only objector in the House, expressing concerns over “innocent people being harmed” by the information release.
Trump’s shift from criticizing legislators who sought the files to declaring there was “nothing to conceal” surprised some in Washington.
The Republican congressional leadership was taken aback after having aligned their messaging with the president in recent weeks against the release.
House Speaker Mike Johnson had previously labeled the effort to release the Epstein files as a “Democrat hoax”.
However, on Tuesday, he voted to support the release.
The measure was expected to take several days to reach the US Senate, but following the decisive afternoon vote in the House, the timeline was accelerated.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced the bill on the Senate floor through a process known as unanimous consent. With no objections, the bill went through without debate or amendments.
It will proceed from the Senate to the president’s desk, where he is anticipated to sign it into law.
Releasing the files did not require a congressional vote – Trump could have initiated the release independently.
The bill mandates Attorney General Pam Bondi to disclose “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” linked to Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell no later than 30 days after the law is enacted.
These materials encompass internal communications from the justice department, flight records, and associations with Epstein.
However, the bill also grants Bondi the authority to withhold information that might compromise any ongoing federal investigation or identify any victims.
Epstein, a financier, was discovered deceased in his New York prison cell in 2019, with a coroner ruling it a suicide.
He was incarcerated on sex trafficking charges and had previously been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
Throughout two criminal investigations regarding Epstein, many documents were collected, including transcripts of interviews with both victims and witnesses.
Trump and Epstein previously circulated in similar social circles, but the president claimed he severed ties with Epstein long before his 2008 conviction. He also stated he was unaware of Epstein’s illegal activities.
Last week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three email threads, which included exchanges between Epstein and Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
Some emails mention Trump, including one from 2011 where Epstein wrote to Maxwell: “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump… [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him.”
The White House stated last week that the victim referenced in the email was notable Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Giuffre, who passed away in April, asserted she never observed Trump partake in any abuse and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by him in the emails.
Trump has repeatedly denied any misconduct associated with Epstein. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the emails were “selectively leaked” by House Democrats to “liberal media to fabricate a false narrative to tarnish President Trump”.
The initiative for the release of the investigative files held by the Department of Justice was driven by Republican Thomas Massie, a congressman from Kentucky who occasionally diverges from his party, and Democrat Ro Khanna, a congressman from California, both of whom introduced the legislation.
Massie has faced reproach from Trump for his pursuit of file release but has remained resolute.
“In 2030, he won’t be the president,” Massie remarked to ABC News over the weekend. He added that fellow Republicans who voted against the release “will have voted to shield paedophiles”.
Another Republican advocating for the release of the files is House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. She was a staunch Trump supporter until their relationship soured over this issue, with the president now labeling her a “traitor”.
At a news conference earlier that day, Greene stated she is voicing her support for Epstein’s survivors. She also directly criticized Trump.
“Let me clarify what a traitor is. A traitor is an American who caters to foreign nations and their interests; a patriot is an American who serves the United States of America and its citizens like the women standing behind me,” Greene remarked.
She expressed that the controversy surrounding Epstein has been one of the “most damaging things” to Trump’s Make America Great Again movement since his 2016 election.
Epstein abuse survivors also addressed the news conference, imploring lawmakers to release the files and pressuring Trump to do likewise.
Epstein survivor Annie Farmer stated that concealing the files constituted “institutional betrayal”.
“Due to inadequate investigations of these crimes, numerous additional girls and women have suffered,” Ms. Farmer remarked.
