The Department of Justice will begin providing records related to Jeffrey Epstein to the House Oversight Committee on Friday, Chairman James Comer said in a statement Monday afternoon.
“There are many records in DOJ’s custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted,” said Comer. “I appreciate the Trump Administration’s commitment to transparency and efforts to provide the American people with information about this matter.”
Comer requested the records in an Aug. 5 subpoena, which came in response to a a bipartisan measure that passed through an Oversight subcommittee. Tuesday was the deadline for the DOJ to reply to the inquiry.
Both Democrats and Republicans have called for Epstein records to be released, creating pressure that ultimately caused Speaker Mike Johnson to send his members home early for a monthlong recess.
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In addition to the Epstein files, the subcommittee also subpoenaed either documents or testimony from a number of high-profile individuals, including former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as several former U.S. attorneys general.
The saga reached a fever pitch earlier this summer after DOJ leadership issued a memo in early July walking back its promises to release further documents relating to the disgraced financier. The news was met with both skepticism and anger from President Donald Trump’s most fervent online supporters.
A pair of stories published by The Wall Street Journal kept Epstein’s name in the headlines for weeks earlier this summer as well: one revealing a “bawdy” letter Trump allegedly sent Epstein for his 50th birthday and another that claimed Attorney General Pam Bondi told the president his name was featured in the department’s investigation into the convicted sex offender.
Trump has continually tried to downplay his relationship to Epstein. The White House has largely deferred to DOJ to handle the situation and did not immediately comment on Comer’s statement.
In town halls and public appearances back home during August recess, congressional Democrats have been looking for opportunities to hammer the administration and Republicans on their inaction on the Epstein files. Republicans who want the documents released have also set their sights on September for further action. One of the most vocal among them, Rep. Thomas Massie, said before leaving for recess that he thinks the pressure “will grow” before then.
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