A Republican-led House committee on Tuesday released more than 33,000 pages of files tied to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender. The move comes as GOP leaders try to head off a bipartisan effort in Congress that would have forced a vote on making Epstein records public.
Epstein’s case has long fueled public suspicion and conspiracy theories, especially among supporters of Republican former President Donald Trump. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in July found most Americans, including a majority of Trump’s backers, believe the government is hiding key details about Epstein.
But much of what was released this week wasn’t new. The files were largely made up of court documents and material that had already been made public.
“Nearly everything Republicans just supposedly ‘released’ … has already been released,” Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts said in a post on X.
The release comes as Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, push for a resolution that would require the Justice Department to hand over all unclassified Epstein records, including FBI and U.S. attorneys’ files. The two lawmakers plan to hold a press conference with Epstein’s victims on Wednesday morning. Massie told Axios he still intends to press ahead despite Tuesday’s document dump.
House Speaker Mike Johnson called Massie’s petition “inartfully drafted,” saying it failed to protect the identities of Epstein’s victims. He also argued the push was unnecessary after the committee’s release. “It’s superfluous at this point, and I think we’re achieving the desired end here,” Johnson said.
Among the documents released Tuesday were at least eight videos of apparent police interviews with victims, some dating back to 2005 and 2006. In one, a 17-year-old girl said Epstein paid her $350 for sex and a massage. “He has the girls take off their clothes and give him a massage,” she said in the 17-minute recording.
Other files included audio from Florida’s criminal investigation of Epstein, with victim interviews redacted to protect identities.
The committee has also subpoenaed the Justice Department, Epstein’s estate, and Ghibelline Maxwell Epstein’s longtime associate who is now serving a prison sentence for additional records and testimony.
