Epstein files turmoil: GOP blocks Democrat bid to unveil explosive documents
Tensions in Washington flared this week after House Republicans shut down an amendment by Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) demanding full public access to the Epstein files.
“Why are the Epstein files still hidden? Who are the rich & powerful being protected?” Khanna questioned on X, previously Twitter, over the weekend.
He continued, “On Tuesday, I’m introducing an amendment to force a vote demanding the FULL Epstein files be released to the public. The Speaker must call a vote & put every Congress member on record.”
That vote never came. Khanna’s proposed amendment was spiked by GOP lawmakers before it reached the floor, triggering an uproar across party lines and reigniting public interest in the mysterious files surrounding Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, the Justice Department issued a memo stating there was no evidence that Epstein maintained a blackmail client list or that his death involved foul play. Officially, the financier’s 2019 death remains a suicide.
But many aren’t convinced. The DOJ’s findings have drawn sharp criticism, especially from Trump loyalists who claim the documents could reveal deep corruption among elites.
In fact, recent reports suggest Epstein may have secretly spied on FBI agents, a claim that has further fuelled speculation and distrust surrounding the case.
In a strange twist, Democrats have begun leveraging the backlash brewing inside the MAGA movement. Some argue that the Trump administration, which once heavily pushed for Epstein’s transparency, is now stonewalling.
The finger-pointing has largely landed on Attorney General Pam Bondi. Earlier this year, Bondi suggested the Epstein files were sitting on her desk. But after the DOJ memo’s release, she backtracked, saying she was referring to the case file, not any “client list.”
Cue the backlash. Trump, never one to leave an ally stranded, came out swinging in Bondi’s defence.
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening.
We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday.
Bondi was later spotted in the president’s box at the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey—her public alignment with Trump still intact.
Yet, the mystery lingers. The files remain sealed. Accusations continue to fly.