U.S. House Demands Release of Epstein Documents: Legislation Passes with Broad Bipartisan Support

Original article: EE.UU. abre la caja de Epstein: Cámara exige publicar todos los documentos sobre el pederasta multimillonario

The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday with 427 votes in favor and just 1 against, passing legislation that requires the Department of Justice to publicly disclose thousands of documents related to the case of billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

The nearly unanimous vote marks a significant victory for survivor advocacy groups who have long fought for transparency in one of the most notorious sexual abuse cases in recent history, despite facing opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican leadership.

This bipartisan legislation, which was opposed only by far-right Republican representative Clay Higgins from Louisiana, mandates the Department of Justice to publish «all records, documents, communications, and unclassified investigative materials» related to Epstein, Maxwell, their flight logs, associated persons and entities, as well as internal emails, notes, and communications from the Department of Justice.

Furthermore, it stipulates that the documents must be made public «within a maximum of 30 days» following the enactment of the law. However, it allows Attorney General Pam Bondi to withhold or redact any information that identifies victims or could jeopardize an ongoing federal investigation.

It is important to note that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan on August 10, 2019, in an incident ruled a suicide but surrounded by conspiracy theories. His death occurred one day after documents surfaced linking powerful figures, including investor Glenn Dubin, former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and Prince Andrew of England, to his crimes. In 2022, Prince Andrew reached a multi-million-dollar settlement with one of Epstein’s victims who accused him of sexual offenses when she was a minor.

Since then, there has been a consistent demand for the complete list of Epstein’s associates.

Political Pressure for Legislative Approval

Prior to the vote, a group of Epstein’s abuse survivors joined three Democrat and Republican lawmakers outside the Capitol to demand the release of the documents. The women held photographs of their youth, at the age they would have known the New York financier. Upon learning the outcome, they stood up to applaud the legislators from the public gallery of the House, while crying and embracing one another.

Now, the bill will require approval from the Republican-majority Senate before being sent to Trump for enactment into law.

«The approval was the result of sustained pressure within the lower chamber: four Republicans joined all Democrats last week to sign a petition that forced the consideration of the bill in the chamber, despite initial resistance from House Speaker Mike Johnson,» reported RT.

It should be noted that although they voted in favor of demanding the release of the files, Republican leaders dismissed the measure as a «political stunt» driven by Democrats who are merely pretending to care about the Epstein case in hopes of inflicting political damage on Trump.

When addressing why he had tried for months to prevent the bill from coming to a vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated that he had no choice but to support legislation he considered deeply flawed due to the political repercussions he would face for voting against it, according to The New York Times.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated: «As soon as it arrives from the House, we will pass the bill without changes, without delays, and finally get it done.»

Schumer emphasized that «Epstein’s victim advocacy groups have made it clear that they support this bill as written, without amendments; we must listen to them and pass it quickly. They have worked very hard and for a long time to make this possible and deserve immense recognition for reaching this moment.»

Trump Responds to Pressure and Changes Stance

The Epstein scandal has been a thorn in Trump’s administration for months. During his campaign for a second term, the Republican mogul promised to declassify key documents related to the deceased pedophile case, one of the darkest plots in recent U.S. history, linked to powerful political, business, and aristocratic figures.

However, since taking office in January, the far-right president had avoided declassifying files, fueling suspicions due to his close relationship with the financier, and his name has been repeatedly associated with the case.

The advancement of the law unlocked after Trump withdrew his opposition, representing a dramatic shift in stance. The U.S. president had worked behind the scenes to halt the initiative, but in light of evidence that there would be massive defections of Republicans in the House who would vote in favor, he changed his mind on Monday.

In statements from the Oval Office, Trump attempted to distance himself from Epstein and politicize the issue: «We have nothing to do with Epstein; the Democrats do. All his friends were Democrats.» The president added that he would sign the legislation if it reached his desk, arguing that this would allow the Republican Party to «turn the page and focus on the economy.»

«Let the Senate examine it. Let anyone examine it, but don’t talk too much about the issue […]. It’s really a Democrat problem. All the Democrats were friends of Epstein, and it’s a ruse,» he insisted, while calling for the matter not to take too much focus because he did not want it to «distract attention» from the «great work» of his administration.

«Some of the people we’ve mentioned are being very seriously investigated for their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, but they were with him all the time; I was not. I was not involved at all,» he stated to the press in the Oval Office.

«What I don’t want is for Epstein to detract from the great success of the Republican Party, including the fact that the Democrats are solely to blame for the shutdown,» he emphasized.

However, this change of stance was viewed with skepticism by some survivors. Jena-Lisa Jones, who reported having voted for Trump, criticized the Republican: «His behavior on this issue has been a national disgrace,» and added: «I urge you, President Trump: stop politicizing this. This is not about you, President Trump. You are our president. Please start acting like one,» she said.