Justice dept. will share Epstein-related files with Capitol Hill
On August 18, 2025, House Oversight Committee Chair Comer announced the Justice Department will begin delivering Jeffrey Epstein-related records on Friday, August 22, following a bipartisan subpoena issued earlier this month. The move reverses the Trump administration’s prior refusal to release any Epstein files, prompted by public and congressional pressure for transparency in the sex trafficker’s case. Comer stressed the records will be redacted to protect victims and exclude child sexual abuse material, noting the volume of documents requires time for review.
The DOJ’s decision to release only “some” records raises questions about potential withholding, as the subpoena demands all Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell-related materials. Subpoenas also target prominent figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, for depositions, intensifying scrutiny of Epstein’s elite connections. Former Attorney General Barr, deposed on August 18, stated, “He said that he had never seen anything that would implicate President Trump in any of this,” suggesting no evidence links Trump to Epstein’s crimes.
The Oversight Committee’s probe aims to uncover details of Epstein’s 2019 prosecution and death in jail, ruled a suicide. The partial release of files and ongoing depositions signal a deepening investigation into Epstein’s network and the DOJ’s handling of his case