The Trump administration will begin handing over files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case to members of Congress.
The decision staves off a potential clash between Congress and the White House. The House Oversight Committee had issued a subpoena for the records on Aug. 5. Rather than fight the subpoena, the Justice Department has decided to provide the committee with the records, according to a statement from committee chair, Kentucky Congressman James Comer.
"There are many records in DOJ's custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted," Comer said in a statement. "I appreciate the Trump Administration's commitment to transparency and efforts to provide the American people with information about this matter."
Epstein, a disgraced financier who had ties to prominent individuals, including President Trump and former President Bill Clinton, killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
In July, the Justice Department released a statement saying that Epstein did not have a "client list" and that there was no doubt that he had killed himself. The statement provoked a strong backlash among some of Trump's supporters who had expected the files regarding the case to be released.
Trump attempted to settle the controversy with a social media post that stated, "One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the "HOTTEST" Country anywhere in the World. Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about."
Interest in the case has continued, culminating with a flurry of congressional subpoenas that targeted not only the records, but also former government officials, including:
- Hillary Clinton – Former Secretary of State
- Bill Clinton – Former President of the United States
- James Comey – Former FBI Director
- Robert Mueller – Former FBI Director
- Merrick Garland – Current US Attorney General
- William Barr – Former US Attorney General
- Jeff Sessions – Former US Attorney General
- Loretta Lynch – Former US Attorney General
- Eric Holder – Former US Attorney General
- Alberto Gonzales – Former US Attorney General
Trump has not been subpoenaed by the committee, although in a 2019 interview Epstein said that he had once considered Trump to be his best friend before the two had a falling out, CNN reported.
