Washington: The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a measure, voting 427–1 to require the Justice Department to release documents from its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died while in federal custody in 2019. The proposal will now move to the Senate for consideration.
The debate ahead of the vote was marked by sharp exchanges between Republicans and Democrats, each accusing the other of delaying public access to the documents.
House Speaker Mike Johnson backed the measure but criticised Democrats for advancing it at this stage, calling it a “show vote.” He also defended President Donald Trump, insisting he “had nothing to do with this, and he had nothing to hide.”
Republican sponsor Thomas Massie urged Trump to order the Justice Department to release the records immediately, while Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene warned that even with new legislation, some material could remain “tied up in the investigation.”
Speaking at the White House alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump again rejected any link to Epstein. “I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” he said, adding that he expelled him from his club years ago and “never went to his island.”
After months of resisting full disclosure, Trump shifted position on Sunday, saying House Republicans could support legislation to open the files. He claimed, “It’s a Democrats’ problem. Democrats were Epstein’s friends, all of them.”
Meanwhile, former US Treasury Secretary and Harvard president Larry Summers announced he would step back from public commitments after emails revealed he maintained ties with Epstein long after the financier’s 2008 conviction. Summers said he felt “deeply ashamed” and accepted “full responsibility” for what he called a “misguided decision.”
The House Oversight Committee last week released thousands of pages of emails from the Epstein estate. Democrats highlighted three messages, including a 2011 email in which Epstein claimed Trump “spent hours” with one of the victims. Republicans accused Democrats of selective disclosure and published more than 23,000 additional pages.
The White House dismissed the emails as irrelevant, saying they “prove literally nothing.” Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in Epstein’s activities.
(Inputs from IANS)