The United States is preparing for the long-awaited public release of government files tied to Jeffrey Epstein, after lawmakers overwhelmingly backed a bill compelling the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make the records available.
The measure, which sailed through the House of Representatives in a staggering 427–1 vote, was immediately cleared by the Senate through unanimous consent, fast-tracking it to President Donald Trump, who has already said he will sign it.
Epstein, a wealthy financier who exploited girls and young women for years, has remained a source of national intrigue due to his far-reaching network of elite contacts in politics, academia, and entertainment, including Trump himself.
For months, the president had pushed back against releasing the documents, dismissing public interest in the records as a ‘hoax’, before abruptly shifting his position this month.
Despite that earlier resistance, the DOJ already has the legal power to publish the documents without Congressional approval. The bill simply adds pressure and removes any political ambiguity around the release.
Before Tuesday’s vote, the lawmakers spearheading the legislation, Democrat Ro Khanna and Republicans Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene, stood outside the US Capitol flanked by survivors of Epstein’s abuse. One survivor, Jena-Lisa Jones, held up a photo of herself at 14, recalling how her childhood was derailed the moment she encountered Epstein. ‘I was a child… he stole a lot from me,’ she said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
The bill, formally titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act, compels the DOJ to publish every unclassified document, communication, and investigative report related to Epstein’s prosecution. The files must be provided in a searchable, downloadable format. The DOJ may only withhold information if it risks compromising an active federal investigation or reveals the personal details of victims.
The lone dissenting vote in the House came from Republican Clay Higgins, a staunch Trump ally. Higgins insisted he opposed the bill on principle, arguing that releasing the records could unfairly expose ‘thousands of innocent people,’ such as witnesses and individuals who provided alibis.
Epstein’s network of influential associates has long fuelled calls for transparency. Even after his first conviction in 2008, he maintained relationships with high-profile figures including former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Prince Andrew, former US President Bill Clinton, and ex-Harvard president Larry Summers, who recently apologised for continuing his association with Epstein.
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Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges following a renewed federal investigation. Two months later, he was found dead in a New York jail cell, with his death ruled a suicide.
After the House vote, Trump downplayed the timing of Senate approval and pivoted back to campaign issues such as immigration and defence spending. When pushed by reporters about why he wouldn’t release the records himself, Trump grew visibly irritated, again calling the controversy surrounding Epstein ‘a Democrat hoax’.
His testy exchanges with the press, including telling a reporter ‘Quiet, quiet, piggy’ aboard Air Force One, sparked public outrage. CNN host Jake Tapper described the comments as ‘disgusting’, while the president’s niece, Mary Trump, labelled the remarks ‘wildly inappropriate’.
Asked on Tuesday why he believed Trump had hesitated to release the files, Massie offered a blunt assessment: ‘I believe he’s trying to protect friends and donors… Once you get to a billion dollars, you transcend parties.’
The bill is now set to force historic transparency on a case that has haunted the US for more than a decade and could reveal the extent of Epstein’s ties across the country’s most powerful circles.
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Picture: Heather Diehl / Gallo Images
