Epstein files stay sealed — Republicans block move to force Trump admin to reveal details
Jeffrey Epstein investigation
files to the public was blocked on Monday after Republican members of Congress rejected an amendment that would have required the
Trump administration
to release the sealed documents, as per a report.
Epstein File Release Blocked by House Republicans
The amendment proposed by California Congressman
Ro Khanna
was a Democratic amendment that would have allowed Congress to vote on whether the files should be made public or not, as reported by Newsweek.
However, the GOP members of the House Rules Committee voted it down 5 to 7 on Monday evening, against the amendment, as per the report.
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by Taboola
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What the Amendment Aimed to Do
Khanna's amendment was in effect a procedural measure that was tacked on to the GENIUS Act, which is related to digital assets like cryptocurrency, and if the amendment were to get passed, it would have forced Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish the Epstein documents on a "publicly accessible website," as reported by Newsweek.
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The Democratic Congressman wrote on social media X, saying, "Rules voted 5-7 to block the full House from voting on my amendment to have a FULL release of the Epstein file. People are fed up. They are fed up. Thanks Rep. Ralph Norman. Need to put the American people before party!," as quoted in the report.
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Why the Epstein Files Still Matter
The Epstein case has gained a lot of attention in US politics, and the issue has driven conspiracy theories and mistrust in various federal institutions in the last few years, according to Newsweek.
The controversy came to the spotlight again after the Justice Department's recent memo said that there was no evidence of a client list or blackmail materials, which contradicted previous statements, as per the report.
Epstein was accused of being a notorious child sex offender, but he died in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on further charges of sex trafficking minors, while FBI investigators concluded he killed himself, as reported by Newsweek.
Elon Musk's Deleted Claim
While Tesla CEO Elon Musk had also claimed in a now-deleted social media post that US president Donald Trump's name appeared in the Epstein files, and he called on Trump to release the files "as promised," as reported by Newsweek.
Donald Trump Distances Himself from Epstein Controversy
Trump, who does not stand accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, has responded, saying he cannot understand why people are "still talking about [...] this creep," as quoted in the report.
Democrats Keep Pushing for Public Disclosure
This case has led Democrats to seek to release the files publicly, and the matter made its way into the political discourse as the House Rules Committee considered the issue after a failed attempt by the Democrats to force a vote in Congress on whether the
Epstein files
should be made public, as reported by Newsweek.
FAQs
Did the amendment pass?
No. It was blocked in the House Rules Committee by a 7–5 vote, as per the Newsweek report.
Is Trump involved in the Epstein case?
There's no evidence he is named in the files or accused of wrongdoing.
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