The House of Representatives will not move forward with any legislative efforts aimed at releasing files related to notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein before its monthlong August recess, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Monday.
“No,” Johnson responded when asked by CNN reporter Manu Raju if lawmakers would vote on a resolution calling for the public disclosure of documents related to Epstein’s case before the lower chamber takes its annual summer break.
The House speaker argued that Congress needs to give the Trump administration “space” to handle the hot-button issue on its own for the time being.
“There is no daylight between the House Republicans, the House and the president on maximum transparency,” Johnson said. “[President Trump] has said that he wants all the credible files relating to Epstein to be released. He’s asked the attorney general to request the grand jury files of the court. All of that is in process right now.”
“My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing.”
Johnson indicated that “if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate,” the House “will look at that.”
“I don’t think we’re at that point right now, because we agree with the president,” he added.
Last week, the Republican-controlled House Rules Committee voted to advance a nonbinding resolution calling for the release of some information related to the Epstein case.
The resolution, which carries no legal weight, directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish “all credible” documents, communications and metadata related to the federal government’s investigation of Epstein and his convicted sex-trafficking accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
The resolution cleared the rules committee as part of a deal with GOP lawmakers who initially opposed Trump’s rescissions bill.
On the same day the resolution was approved by the panel, Trump ordered Bondi to request that the grand jury transcripts in the Epstein case be unsealed.
Bondi asked the federal court in the Southern District of New York the following day to unseal the grand jury testimony related to the 2019 federal sex trafficking case against Epstein and Maxwell.
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