Congress releases 33,000 Epstein files amid DOJ’s cover-up claims
House surveillance has released 33,000 Epstein files, but Democrats say the Justice Department is withheld key documents.
WASHINGTON – The House Oversight Committee has released Jeffrey Epstein’s first document tranche.
The committee said it had released a 33,295-page file it received from Epstein’s Department of Justice, a convicted sex offender.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Kommer issued a subpoena on records related to the Department of Justice Epstein on August 5 after a bipartisan group of lawmakers voted in favor of the measure in July on July 5.
Democrats on the committee say most documents are not new.
The first batch of documents comes after President Donald Trump, who was once Epstein’s best friend, faced weeks of criticism over the Justice Department’s refusal to release all of the Epstein documents.
USA Today was unable to immediately independently check which of the records were new and not previously published.
However, the first batch of documents is unlikely to satisfy Democrats and other Trump critics who demanded the Justice Department to disclose all documents from the government’s Epstein investigation.
Rep. Robert Garcia of D-California, a ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said 97% of the records released in the first tranches had already been previously published. He said most were the same record as Attorney General Pam Bondy, who was offered to right-wing influencers in February.
“Most of that is already in public records,” Garcia said. “What we need now is full compliance with the subpoena, and the Attorney General who said that all (Epstein) files that once were on her desk should release all the files right away.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, another Democrat on the committee, said the Justice Department has released only 1% of all government Epstein files to the committee.
The Department of Justice handed over to the file on August 22nd in response to the subpoena.
The controversy over the Epstein Files tested the relationship between the Trump administration and the president’s MAGA base, annoying former businessmen. That friendship with Epstein ended in the mid-2000s after Trump said he had stole a worker from him and that he had stole it.
Comer said in a statement on August 18th that DOJ will soon submit its first batch of documents. However, he warned that the release was incomplete.
“There are many records under DOJ custody, and it takes time for the department to make all records and identify victim and child sexual abuse material being compiled,” he said at the time.
The committee also issued deposits of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former senior federal law enforcement officers, including James Comey, Loretta Lynch, Loretta Lynch, Eric Garland, Merrick Garland, Robert Mueller, William Burr, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzalez.
The law will make all Epstein files public
The release of Epstein Documents occurs in a push led by lawmakers to mandate the release of all files related to the case.
Rep. Khanna and R-Kentucky Thomas Massie are leading efforts to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which forces General Epstein to release all Justice Department files related to Epstein in a searchable format.
Massie introduced the bill on July 15th, and it was introduced to the House Rules Committee, according to Congress.gov, a website for tracking legislation before Congress.
With all 212 Democrats supporting the effort, there are only six Republicans who need to sign on, Khanna said NBC’s “meet the media with Kristen Welker.”
Khanna is planning a press conference on September 3rd, with 10 Epstein victims saying they say. Kanna said the press conference was “explosive” and could force additional lawmakers to sign on.
Contributor: Josh Meyer
