The House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena on Tuesday to the Justice Department for its files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in federal prison awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, and Ghislaine Maxwell, his longtime associate.
The committee also sent subpoenas to 10 former Democratic and Republican government officials whom it said it was seeking to depose in relation to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking and other crimes.
Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, the committee’s Republican chairman, requested that the documents be delivered by Aug. 19.
Should the Justice Department fail to meet that deadline, it could set up a high-profile clash between the Trump administration and Congress over an issue that has sharply divided Republicans.
Mr. Comer was required to issue the 11 subpoenas after Democrats forced a vote on the motion in a key House subcommittee last month.
A number of Republicans broke from their party to back the measure. But they also expanded the request to include subpoenas for prominent political figures who held their positions during the lengthy investigation into Mr. Epstein.
Some of those subpoenas were for political rivals of Mr. Trump, including former President Bill Clinton, who was acquainted with Mr. Epstein, and Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who ran for president against Mr. Trump in 2016. The Oversight Committee also issued subpoenas to Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election; James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director; and a number of former U.S. attorneys general who served under Democratic and Republican presidents, including Mr. Trump.
Michael Gold covers Congress for The Times, with a focus on immigration policy and congressional oversight.
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