Washington — The Republican leader of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has issued a subpoena to the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein seeking documents and other material as part of its ongoing examination of the government’s investigation into Epstein.
The subpoena issued by Rep. James Comer of Kentucky demands the co-executors of Epstein’s estate turn over to the House committee more than a dozen categories of documents and communications, including material from 1990 through August 2019 that references all presidents and vice presidents, videos taken from Epstein’s properties and listings in his contact and address books.
Lawmakers are also seeking entries contained within a leather-bound book put together by Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, for his 50th birthday, the 2008 non-prosecution agreement reached with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida and Epstein’s will.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that President Trump had allegedly signed a “bawdy” letter to Epstein in the early 2000s to mark his 50th birthday that said, in part, “may every day be another wonderful secret.” The Journal reported that the leather-bound book was compiled by Maxwell and included submissions from dozens of associates, including billionaire Leslie Wexner attorney Alan Dershowitz and Mr. Trump.
The president called the letter reported by the Journal “fake” and filed a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, its parent company and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over the story, seeking at least $20 billion in damages.
In a letter to the co-executors of Epstein’s estate, Comer wrote that “it is our understanding that the estate is ready and willing to provide these documents to the Committee pursuant to a subpoena.” He set a Sept. 8 deadline for the documents to be turned over to House investigators.
“Recent reporting indicates the estate of Mr. Epstein has access to documents relevant to the Committee’s investigation, including the alleged ‘birthday book’ prepared for Mr. Epstein by Ms. Maxwell,” he wrote. “The attached subpoena is meant to bolster the amount of information available to the Committee so that it may conduct its work. It is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell.”
In addition to issuing the subpoena, Comer announced that Alex Acosta, who was serving as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida when Epstein was investigated, will voluntarily answer questions from the committee on Sept. 19.
Acosta was the top federal prosecutor in South Florida when federal authorities investigated Epstein in the 2000s and entered into a non-prosecution agreement that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution and plead guilty to state prostitution charges. Acosta went on to serve as secretary of labor during Mr. Trump’s first term, but resigned in 2019 amid questions about his handling of the Epstein case.
As part of its investigation into the federal probe into Epstein, the House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas for depositions earlier this month to former attorneys general and FBI directors across four presidential administrations, as well as to former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Comer said the committee would accept formal written declarations from three former attorneys general, Alberto Gonzales, Eric Holder and Jeff Sessions. Acosta was not among the officials from whom the Oversight Committee initially sought testimony.
The panel also issued a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi for documents related to the Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein and Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 for her role in helping him recruit, groom and abuse underage girls. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence, but has appealed her conviction to the Supreme Court.
The Justice Department sent the first tranche of files related to Epstein to Congress last week, and the Oversight Committee plans to make the records public, though victims’ identification and child sexual abuse material will be redacted, a spokesperson said.
The renewed focus on Epstein’s case and the government’s handling of it was sparked by a Justice Department memo issued in July that said there was no “client list” or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent figures. The Trump administration said it would not disclose any additional information about Epstein, which led to a backlash from some of the president’s allies.
In response, the Justice Department asked federal judges in New York to unseal grand jury transcripts from Epstein and Maxwell’s cases. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman denied last week the request to make the material from Epstein’s proceedings public, finding that the government is the “logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein File.”
Separately, the administration released transcripts of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s two-day interview with Maxwell that was conducted in Tallahassee last month.
Epstein was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 but died by suicide at a Manhattan correctional facility while awaiting trial.
Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.
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