Meanwhile, three Republicans joined Democrats in initiating a subpoena for the Justice Department to turn over the Epstein case files.
A Republican-led House committee is investigating the late Jeffrey Epstein’s massive criminal case, despite President Donald Trump’s pleas for his base to move on.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is working to subpoena the Department of Justice for case files. They’ve also issued a subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, to testify from prison.
The committee’s efforts are a rare GOP split from Trump, who has angered some of his supporters by reneging on promises to release more files. Officials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking young girls, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell’s links to famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires.
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s name is in the Epstein files multiple times, and that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump about his mentions in May. Many other high-profile people were also named in the files, according to WSJ, and being named does not mean there was any wrongdoing.
Democrats, joined by three Republicans, were able to successfully initiate the subpoena from a subcommittee just as the House was leaving Washington for its August recess. But it was just the start of negotiations over the subpoena.
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The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and personal information of any victims, but besides that, their demand for information is quite broad, encompassing “un-redacted Epstein files.”
As the parameters of the subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it be fulfilled within 30 days from when it is served to Attorney General Pam Bondi. They have also proposed a list of document demands, including the prosecutorial decisions surrounding Epstein, documents related to his death, and communication from any president or executive official regarding the matter.
Ultimately, Republicans who control the committee will have more power over the scope of the subpoena, but the fact that it was approved with a strong bipartisan vote gives it some heft.
What they’re saying:
The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he told the speaker that “Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that’s what the American people want.”
What’s next:
The committee wants to interview Maxwell under oath on Aug. 11 at the federal prison in Florida where she’s serving a 20-year sentence for helping Epstein traffic minors.
Maxwell has the ability to negotiate some of the terms of the deposition, and she already conducted 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials this past week.
Asked Friday if he’s considered pardoning Maxwell, Trump answered, “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”
Committee Republicans also initiated a motion to subpoena a host of other people, including former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Hillary Clinton as well as the former attorneys general dating back to Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush.
It’s not clear how this sweeping list of proposed subpoenas will actually play out, but Comer has said, “We’re going to move quickly on that.”
The other side:
Democrats, however, warn that Maxwell is not to be trusted.
“We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and not a good person to a lot of people,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, told reporters this week.
Dig deeper:
The Trump administration is already facing the potential for even more political tension. When Congress comes back to Washington in September, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is working to advance to a full House vote a bill that aims to force the public release of the Epstein files.
Trump is no stranger to fighting against congressional investigations and subpoenas. And as with most subpoenas, the Justice Department can negotiate the terms of how it fulfills the subpoena. It can also make legal arguments against handing over certain information.
If Congress is not satisfied with Attorney General Pam Bondi’s response — or if she were to refuse to hand over any information — there are several ways lawmakers can try to enforce the subpoena. However, that would require a vote to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress.
It’s practically unheard of for one political party to vote to hold one of its own members in contempt of Congress, but the Epstein saga has also cut across political lines and driven a wedge in the GOP.
“We can’t allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers,” said Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a committee member.
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