A Republican representative has said President Donald Trump might be covering for some rich and powerful friends in connection with Jeffrey Epstein, adding that the way to clear the president’s name would be to release all information on the investigation into the convicted sex offender and disgraced financier.
Epstein died by suicide behind bars in New York while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019.
Thomas Massie, a Representative from Kentucky, called for the release of all of the files, saying doing so would help the president.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment by email after office hours.
Why It Matters
Epstein’s 2019 death in a New York jail cell only fueled public mistrust and theories surrounding the sex offender’s life and crimes. For many lawmakers, the stakes go beyond history or accountability.
They see the continued secrecy as an affront to victims and a failure to fully explain why Epstein was able to operate for so long. Pressure is mounting in Congress for lawmakers to compel the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all records related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, with only the personal information of victims withheld.
What To Know
The House Oversight Committee examining the Epstein investigation released some 34,000 documents it received from the DOJ, but Democratic critics said they contained little that was new and reiterated calls for the release of all of the so-called Epstein files.
“The best way to clear President Trump’s name is to release all the files,” Massie said in an interview with MSNBC.
“I actually don’t think he’s done anything criminal. I think he may be covering for some rich and powerful people that are friends of his,” Massie said.
Trump has said the uproar over the Epstein case was a “hoax” cooked up by his political enemies. He has also warned of the dangers of innocent people getting caught up in the scandal because of a past association with Epstein.
But Massie said embarrassment should not stop the release of information.
“We’re getting close to the center of power here, and I think embarrassment is not a reason to conceal all of this stuff. We’ve got to get it out in the open regardless of whose friends might be incriminated,” he said.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Representative Robert Garcia of California, referring to the documents released on Tuesday by the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement: “The 33,000 pages of Epstein documents James Comer has decided to ‘release’ were already mostly public information. To the American people—don’t let this fool you.”
What Happens Next
Tuesday’s release of documents raised questions about why the DOJ had not simply disclosed the documents directly to the public rather than funneling them through Congress.
Disagreements remain over how Congress should proceed. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson wants the inquiry to remain with the House Oversight Committee and has drafted a resolution directing the panel to publicly release its findings when ready. Others say that approach risks keeping critical documents under wraps and delays a fuller accounting.
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