US lawmakers push to release Epstein files, dividing Republicans

ISTANBUL

There is increasing pressure in the US Congress to release sealed documents related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealing divisions among Republicans as some lawmakers break ranks with US President Donald Trump, a report by Axios on Sunday indicated.

The pressure follows renewed attention on the case of Epstein, the disgraced American financier accused of sexually abusing minors, who died in jail in 2019.

Several reports indicated that US Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that his name, along with those of other high-profile individuals, appears in sealed files the Justice Department has yet to make public.

Despite Trump dismissing the matter as a political “hoax,” some lawmakers from both parties are pressing ahead, according to the report.

Representatives Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, and Democrat Ro Khanna of California are leading efforts to force a vote in the House of Representatives to release the files. Speaking on talk shows Sunday, both expressed confidence that their measure has enough support to pass.

“It will pass,” Khanna said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Massie warned on ABC’s “This Week” that inaction could cost Republicans politically, adding: “If we don’t act, voters may check out.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has also voiced opposition to the current approach, stating that the proposed legislation lacks proper protections for victims. “We want the truth, but we must also safeguard innocent people,” he told NBC.