US congressman claims billionaire donors, intelligence ties behind resistance to releasing Epstein files
- Americans would be 'shocked' to learn their intelligence agencies worked with 'a pedophile who was running a sex trafficking ring,' says Thomas Massie
ISTANBUL
A US congressman suggested Sunday that the Trump administration is resisting a full release of the files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to protect billionaire donors and possible intelligence connections.
"I think it's going to be embarrassing to some of the billionaires, some of the donors who are politically connected to his campaign," US Rep. Thomas Massie told ABC News when asked why President Donald Trump opposes complete disclosure.
The Kentucky Republican predicted that both parties would face exposure, noting that billionaires contribute to both Republicans and Democrats.
He also suggested possible intelligence agency involvement including the CIA and foreign intelligence, saying Americans would be "shocked" to learn their intelligence agencies worked with "a pedophile who was running a sex trafficking ring."
On House Speaker Mike Johnson's Friday claim that Trump served as an "FBI informant" in the Epstein case, Massie voiced skepticism. "I don't know if the speaker misspoke," Massie said, adding that while Trump provided helpful information to victims' lawyers in 2009, being an informant "implies some formal connection and ongoing relationship with the FBI."
Despite Senate Republican Leader John Thune's opposition, Massie expressed confidence that House passage of a bill to release the files would put pressure on the Senate to do the same.
The US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Tuesday released more than 33,000 pages of records provided by the Justice Department. Democrats on the panel criticized the release as a pretense at transparency, as nearly all of the documents had already been made public.
Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California have introduced legislation requiring the Justice Department to release its Epstein records within 30 days. Massie also filed a discharge petition Tuesday to force a House vote.
Epstein, a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. Authorities ruled the death a suicide, a finding reaffirmed by the Justice Department in July, although many Americans, including large numbers of Trump supporters, continue to allege a cover-up.
