Democrats on the US House Oversight Committee criticized the Department of Justice on Tuesday, saying nearly all documents recently released concerning disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were already public. They urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to comply with a congressional subpoena and release all unredacted records.
In a statement, committee Democrats said their initial review of the 33,295 pages showed that 97% of the materials had already been disclosed by federal, state, or local authorities.
“The 33,000 pages of Epstein documents (House Oversight Committee Chairman) James Comer has decided to ‘release’ were already mostly public information. To the American people – don’t let this fool you,” the lawmakers declared.
They added that the files contained “no mention of any client list or anything that improves transparency or justice for victims.” Democrats further argued that the release failed to meet the DOJ’s obligation to provide full, unredacted documents while still protecting victims and removing sensitive child sexual abuse materials.
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The controversy comes amid bipartisan efforts to secure full disclosure of Epstein-related records. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, said his push for transparency “still has support from members of both parties.” He added, “Somebody needs to show us what’s new in those documents.”
Massie, together with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, has introduced legislation requiring the DOJ to release its Epstein records within 30 days. On Tuesday, Massie also filed a discharge petition aimed at forcing a House vote on the bill.
Epstein, who had long been accused of exploiting minors and trafficking young women for sex, pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring a minor for prostitution. In 2019, he was found dead in his New York City jail cell while awaiting trial on new federal charges. Authorities ruled his death a suicide, a finding the Justice Department reiterated in July, dismissing theories that he was murdered.
The DOJ also publicly stated that Epstein did not maintain a secret list of wealthy clients. However, the claim continues to fuel skepticism among Trump-aligned MAGA supporters, who allege a cover-up to protect Epstein’s influential associates.
