The Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives has voted almost unanimously to force the release of US justice department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an outcome US President Donald Trump had fought for months before ending his opposition.
Two days after Trump’s abrupt about-face, the vote passed by 427-1, sending a resolution requiring the release of all unclassified records on Epstein to the Senate for consideration.
The public and increasingly bitter feud among Republicans over the Epstein files had fractured relations between Trump and some of his most ardent supporters.
Before the vote, about two dozen survivors of Epstein’s alleged abuse joined a trio of Democratic and Republican lawmakers outside the US Capitol to urge the release of the records.
The women held photographs of their younger selves, the age at which they said they first encountered Epstein, a New York financier who fraternised with some of the most powerful men in the country.

The scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein has been a persistent political irritant for former President Trump, largely due to his promotion of conspiracy theories related to Epstein among his supporters.

Woman holds image of herself while speaking at podium

Danielle Bensky, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, stood up to speak at a news conference held outside the U.S. Capitol, accompanied by other survivors of the notorious sex offender. Her presence highlighted the ongoing struggle for justice in the wake of Epstein’s crimes.

Many of Trump’s supporters are convinced that his administration played a role in concealing Epstein’s connections with influential individuals. This skepticism extends to the circumstances of Epstein’s death in a Manhattan jail in 2019, officially ruled a suicide, but still clouded by doubts among conspiracy theorists.

During a tense exchange on Tuesday, Trump lashed out at a reporter who questioned him about the matter in the Oval Office, labeling the journalist a “terrible person.” He went so far as to suggest that the television network the reporter represented should have its license revoked.

Trump socialised and partied with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s before what he calls a rift, but the old friendship has become a rare weak spot for the president with his supporters.
Trump has said he had no connection to Epstein’s crimes and has begun calling the issue a “Democratic hoax”, despite some Republicans being among the loudest voices calling for the release of the records from criminal investigations of Epstein.
Trump said his about-face on Sunday was an effort to get Republicans to move on from a damaging feud about Epstein and “because we have nothing to hide”.
Trump already has the power to order the release of justice department records himself, and does not need a congressional resolution compelling him to do so.
It was unclear what the Republican-led Senate would do next.

The House recently passed a resolution that allows the Justice Department to withhold certain materials that could potentially “jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.” This decision underscores the sensitivity and complexity of the ongoing legal investigations related to Epstein’s case.

Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida state felony prostitution charge in 2008 and served 13 months in jail.
The US Justice Department charged him with sex trafficking of minors in 2019.
Epstein pleaded not guilty to those charges before his death.

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