US House votes to release secret Jeffrey Epstein files after bitter political fight
The US House of Representatives has voted to release the Jeffrey Epstein files as the convicted pedophile’s brother made shock new allegations about the documents.
The US Senate has approved a House-passed bill ordering the release of federal files on convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The upper chamber of Congress agreed by unanimous consent — meaning no vote was required — to consider the bill passed when it arrives from the House and to send it without debate to the desk of Donald Trump, who has pledged to sign it into law.
The law would require the Department of Justice to make public all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” within 30 days, and within 15 days deliver a list of government officials and other “politically exposed persons”.
In a 427-1 vote, the US House of Representatives earlier voted in favour of releasing the Epstein files, which reportedly contain scandalous details of millionaire financier Epstein’s crimes, and his links to rich and powerful associates.
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‘DIRT ON TRUMP’: EPSTEIN’S BROTHER SPEAKS OUT
The brother of Jeffrey Epstein has claimed that the files on the convicted sex offender
are allegedly being scrubbed to remove the names of Republicans.
In a phone interview with NewsNation, Mark Epstein claimed he had been told by an unnamed source that names were being removed from the long-awaited Epstein files so that they are no longer incriminating for Republicans.
“I’ve been recently told, the reason they’re going to be releasing the files and the reason for the flip is that they’re sabotaging these files,” Mark said.
“That’s what I was told, by a pretty good source.”
Mark alleged during the interview that his brother had compromising information about Donald Trump in 2016, the year Mr Trump was running for his first presidential term.
“He didn’t tell me what he knew,” Mark said, “but Jeffrey definitely had dirt on Trump.”
‘INJURES THOUSANDS’: NO VOTER SPEAKS OUT
The only politician to vote no, Louisiana’s Clay Higgins immediately took to X to explain why he did so.
“I have been a principled ‘NO’ on this bill from the beginning. What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today. It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America,” Mr Higgins wrote.
“As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc. If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt. Not by my vote.
“The Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough investigation that has already released well over 60,000 pages of documents from the Epstein case. That effort will continue in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans. If the Senate amends the bill to properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated, then I will vote for that bill when it comes back to the House.”
His concerns were echoed by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“It is dangerously flawed,” Mr Johnson, who somewhat reluctantly voted for the bill to pass, issued a plea to Senate Majority Leader John Thune to amend it.
“Our problem and our frustration is, there’s no way for us in the House to amend it or correct these problems because the authors of the discharge will not allow it.”
VIRGINIA GIUFFRE’S BROTHER IN EMOTIONAL PLEA
Virginia Giuffre’s brother broke down on the steps of Capitol Hill as he spoke of his late sister’s enduring legacy and bravery in standing up to the rich and powerful.
Sky Roberts said Ms Giuffre, who died in April, had fought to bring about this day for many years after surviving being trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell who recruited her from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago spa when she was 16.
“My name is Sky Roberts and I stand before you as the brother of Virginia Roberts Giuffre – a warrior, a mother and a sister whose legacy will forever resonate in the hearts of those who understand the fight against injustice,” he told a rally on Capitol Hill.
“Today we find ourselves in a place of deep sorrow, shattered by the loss of our beloved sister. Yet we are honoured and privileged to carry her voice forward and continue her relentless fight alongside her fellow survivor sisters.
“I know my sister would be incredibly proud, this is the moment she was fighting for and that all survivors are fighting for so thank you.”
Elected officials say the public deserves answers in a case with over 1000 alleged victims, while pro-Trump activists insist the files will expose Democrats and other powerful figures long shielded from scrutiny.
Mr Trump could try to block the files, but killing the bill in the Senate or vetoing it after a lopsided House vote would be awkward to defend, with the midterm elections looming and the public overwhelmingly in favour of transparency.
Ms Giuffre alleged she was abused by Epstein and his powerful associates including then Prince Andrew who settled a confidential lawsuit out of court.
He has since been stripped of his titles by brother King Charles and is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Ms Giuffre took her life in April and in a posthumous memoir, detailed her harrowing experiences at the hands of Epstein.
“Epstein and Maxwell didn’t just abuse her, they trafficked her to a network of the rich and powerful. Princes, prime ministers, politicians, financiers and lawyers,” Mr Roberts said in Washington.
“These men committed unspeakable acts against her, against her will and against the will of countless survivors who stand united with us here today.”
The saga has exposed rare fissures in support for the Republican president, who campaigned on releasing the files but changed course after taking office, accusing Democrats of pushing a “hoax” and attacking politicians who called for their release.
‘CALLED A TRAITOR’: FORMER TRUMP ALLY DEFIANT
The rupture widened when Mr Trump pulled his endorsement of loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene in a stunning break that she said “has all come down to the Epstein files.”
Mr Trump this week lashed Ms Greene as a “traitor”.
Speaking ahead of the vote on Tuesday local time alongside Mr Roberts and Epstein survivors, Ms Greene fired back, saying the release of the files said the public support for the release of the files had forced politicians to bridge the political divide that had “become bigger than the Grand Canyon”.
“These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight and they did it by banding together and never giving up,” Ms Greene said.
“And that’s what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the President of the United States in order to make this vote happen today.
“I was called a traitor by a man who I fought for six years for. I gave him my loyalty for free. I won my first election without his endorsement beating eight men in a primary. I’ve never owed him anything but I fought for him for the policies and for America first.
“And he called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition.
“Let me tell you what a traitor is, a traitor is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans like the women standing behind me.”
Ms Greene said she expected the bill to pass in a unanimous vote in the house.
“Let me tell you that this only became possible today because the American people whom we serve as representatives here in congress demanded that this vote happen and they put more pressure on every single elected politician in this city than has ever been put on them,” she said.
“While I want to see every single name released so that these women don’t have to live in fear and intimidation, which is something I’ve had a small taste of in the past few days, just a small taste, they’ve been living it for years.
“But the real test will be will the Department of Justice release the files or will it all remain tied up with investigations. Will the CIA release the files, will a judge release the information. That’s information that needs to come out.”
‘WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE’: TRUMP’S U-TURN ON EPSTEIN FILES
Mr Trump has declared “we have nothing to hide” and said House Republicans shout vote to release the files.
“I’m all for it,” he told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about signing the bill into law if it passes the Senate.
It came after a White House correspondent who asked President Trump about the Epstein files was given a sharp reprimand.
Prior to his change of mind about the Epstein files release, Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey asked Mr Trump about why he was opposing it “if there’s nothing incriminating in the files”.
Mr Trump pointed at her and said: “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.”
Shortly after, he posted to Truth Social: “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax.”
Mr Trump’s lawyer general and FBI director said in July they had completed an “exhaustive review” of the case file that revealed “no basis to revisit the disclosure” of any Epstein materials.
Pressure increased last week after Democrats selectively released three never before seen emails attempting to link the President to Epstein.
The President has denied any knowledge or involvement in Epstein’s crimes and said the two had a falling out long before he became president.
Further revelations also included messages between Epstein and Bill Clinton’s former Treasury secretary, Larry Summers, who told US media late Monday he was “stepping back” from public commitments as a result.
“I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognise the pain they have caused,” Summers said in a statement, obtained by The New York Post.
“I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein,” he added.
Summers explained that stepping away is “one part of my broader effort to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.”
Now that the bill has cleared the House, Democrats will pressure Republicans to bring it to the Senate floor.
Passage there would require 60 votes – meaning support from at least 13 Republicans.
Even then, Mr Trump could veto the measure, forcing a potentially elusive two-thirds override in both chambers.
– With AFP
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Originally published as US House votes to release secret Jeffrey Epstein files after bitter political fight
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