The House of Representatives is expected to vote later this week on bipartisan legislation that would direct the Department of Justice to make its complete Epstein case records public, subject to limited redactions to protect active investigations and victims’ personal information. The measure mirrors earlier proposals that stalled in committee but has gained momentum after a late shift by former President Donald Trump, who is seeking another term in 2028.
Speaking to reporters Saturday evening before boarding Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump urged Republican lawmakers to support the bill. The appeal marked a departure from his earlier characterization of document-release efforts as a “Democratic hoax” that had ensnared what he called “some stupid, foolish Republicans.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that emails released by House Democrats “prove absolutely nothing, other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.” None of the materials made public to date include allegations of criminal conduct by Trump, who socialized with Epstein in the 1990s but has said he broke ties long before the financier’s first federal indictment in 2019.
Survivors have been lobbying for transparency for months. In September, several of the same women walked the halls of Capitol Hill telling lawmakers that sealing the files perpetuates impunity. One participant, British actress Anouska De Georgiou, told reporters at the time that “the days of sweeping this under the rug are over. We, the survivors, say no more.”
The campaign plans to return to Washington on Tuesday morning for a news conference with Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California and Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Greene and Trump sparred publicly last week over the pace and scope of the congressional inquiry into Epstein’s network.
Supporters of the bill argue that disclosing the complete investigative record could expose previously unknown accomplices, clarify whether prosecutors missed opportunities to bring additional charges and shed light on how Epstein cultivated relationships with prominent figures in business, politics and academia. Critics counter that the legislation risks outing victims who have requested privacy and could jeopardize ongoing probes.
Imagem: Internet
Epstein died in a federal detention center in Manhattan in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The New York City medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. In the years since, civil suits and partial document releases have identified dozens of alleged victims and raised questions about the adequacy of earlier federal and state investigations.
The proposed House measure would require the attorney general to transmit a comprehensive set of records—including grand-jury transcripts, plea-negotiation notes and correspondence between federal prosecutors and Epstein’s legal team—to the House Judiciary Committee within 60 days of enactment. The committee would then publish a redacted version online. A companion bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the Senate.
Legislative experts note that Congress has previously mandated the disclosure of sensitive historical records, most notably through the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. According to Congress.gov, that statute led to the release of approximately five million pages of classified material.
Advocates for Epstein’s survivors argue that a similar approach is warranted. “Five administrations later, we still don’t know who enabled a trafficker who preyed on children for decades,” World Without Exploitation executive director Lauren Hersh said in a statement accompanying the video. “Congress has the power to change that.”
House leaders have not yet announced the precise timing of the vote, but aides from both parties said it could occur as early as Thursday. Passage would send the measure to the Senate, where Judiciary Committee Chair Richard Durbin has expressed openness to holding hearings on the issue.
For the women appearing in the PSA, the upcoming vote represents another chance to obtain answers they say have been withheld for too long. As the final frame fades to black, a phone number for the House switchboard remains on screen, underscoring their message to lawmakers: the secrets should no longer stay hidden.
Crédito da imagem: Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images; World Without Exploitation
