US lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to force the publication of the long-awaited Epstein files, potentially ending years of conjecture surrounding prominent figures linked to the convicted paedophile.
The House of Representatives passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act with near-unanimous support, despite former President Donald Trump urging Republicans to oppose it. Pressure from Jeffrey Epstein’s victims ultimately led many in his party to defy him, prompting Mr Trump to reverse his position.
The legislation will now proceed to the president’s desk and could be signed into law as early as this week. The documents are expected to include flight logs, internal FBI memoranda, photographs and videos, personal correspondence, metadata and immunity deals associated with Epstein.
Much of the material stems from interviews conducted with victims as part of the disgraced financier’s 2019 indictment.
While victims’ identities will remain protected, the same safeguard will not apply to individuals alleged to have been involved in wrongdoing.
Some Republicans have raised concerns that the full release could unfairly implicate people with tenuous or unproven links to Epstein.
Responding to these objections, Democratic co-sponsor Ro Khanna remarked: “If you showed up at Epstein’s rape island, I don’t have that much sympathy if your name gets released.”
The Bill, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, requires Pam Bondi, the US Attorney General, to release all files within 30 days of the legislation being signed.
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The material must be made both searchable and downloadable. However, delays may arise as Ms Bondi will be permitted to redact:
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Victims’ personal or medical details
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Content relating to child abuse
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Images depicting death or violence
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Information that could jeopardise ongoing investigations
This final exemption could prove significant. Mr Trump has recently ordered investigations into Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and other high-profile Democrats.
Mr Massie has warned the president’s move could be used to justify withholding key material.
Momentum behind the Epstein Transparency Act has grown following several previous — but incomplete — disclosures.
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February: The Justice Department released a batch of documents containing few new insights.
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July: The Wall Street Journal revealed Mr Trump had allegedly sent Epstein a lewd sketch for his 50th birthday — a claim he denied before suing the paper for $10bn.
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Later that month, the White House concluded Epstein had died by suicide, asserting there was no evidence of a secret “client list”, a finding that angered many of Mr Trump’s supporters.
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September: Lawyers for Epstein’s estate handed over a birthday book containing letters signed by Mr Trump, Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz and Lord Mandelson.
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This month: The House Oversight Committee released 23,000 further documents, in which Epstein reportedly claimed Mr Trump was “the dog that hasn’t barked” and “knew about the girls”.
Mr Trump dismissed the release as a “Democrat hoax” but later shifted stance after the Bill gained overwhelming bipartisan support, appearing to frame his reversal as a strategic manoeuvre. With information from The Telegraph.
