Mike Johnson says Ghislaine Maxwell should testify before Congress
Asked if he would support efforts to have Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell testify before Congress, the speaker said 'I'm for transparency.' He also appeared open to congress issuing subpoenas to the FBI and Department of Justice to force them to turn over any previously undisclosed files. 'We're intellectually consistent in this... I trust him (Trump). He put together a team of his choosing and they're doing a great job,' the Republican said. 'It's a very delicate subject but we should put everything out there and let the people decide.'
'The White House, and the White House team, are privy to facts that I don't know. I mean this isn't my lane, I haven't been involved in that. But I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there.' He also specifically mentioned Attorney General Pam Bondi's previous remarks noting she had Epstein-related documents on her desk before the DOJ claimed last week that no 'client list' exists.
'Pam Bondi, I don't know when she originally made the statement, I think she was talking about documents, as I understood it they were on her desk,' Speaker Johnson claimed. 'I don't know if she was specific about a list or whatever. But she needs to come forward and explain that to everybody ... I am anxious to get this behind us.' His sentiment appeared to cut against the White House's reluctance to engage on the topic.
Last week Trump balked after a reporter asked him about Epstein, and Trump posted over the weekend a sprawling Truth Social post seemingly questioning voter's interest in the case. However, as pressure has grown on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release sealed documents on the financier's crimes and jailhouse death, Trump has seemingly relented and is now for additional files being released.
'The attorney general has handled that very well. She's really done a very good job. I think when you look at it, you'll understand that. I would like to see that also, but the credibility is very important,' he said about the Epstein files Tuesday. Firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., along with other conservatives have been pushing for more information on the Epstein case.
'I fully support the transparency on this issue,' Greene said Tuesday. 'I also think Pam Bondi is doing a great job.' On Monday evening one Republican, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, voted for a amendment to a bill that would've forced Bondi to release unseen Epstein files on a public portal within 30 days of passage. Norman joined all the Democrats on the Rules Committee push the files into the light of day, however, most Republicans voted down the amendment. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, did not cast a vote in the matter.
Roy and Norman are both members of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative flank of the House GOP that - in line with their anti-swamp antics - are eager to see what is contained in the elusive documents. Democrats, meanwhile, have seen Republican floundering over the files' release as a sign of division - and they are seeking to exploit it for political gain. 'It makes no sense why they want to hide the evidence against Epstein, and the potential client lists that the attorney general is talking about,' the amendments author, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told the Daily Mail.
He heaped praise on Greene and Norman for being supportive of the documents' release. 'They should release the files and let the chips fall where they may for whoever for Democrats or Republicans,' Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., similarly told the Daily Mail. 'It's really, I think, kind of insulting to their own base, because it's like they campaigned on it,' he added. 'Either they were lying from the get go, or they're covering something up that's in there that they don't want to get out.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
CNN interrupted for major breaking news which could have 'huge impact' on Donald Trump
A breaking news story halted proceedings on CNN and the future outcome could have ramifications for president Donald Trump. The news organisation broke to breaking news to inform that Ghislaine Maxwell has been granted a form of limited immunity to talk during her meetings with Department of Justice officials. CNN news reporter Erin Burnett read out live on air: "We are just learning this hour that Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell was granted limited immunity in order to talk with Trump's personal attorney turned deputy attorney general, Todd Blanch." The British socialite and former ex-girlfriend of convicted sex offender Epstein met with Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on multiple occasions this week. It's said she was the one who initiated the meetings. The limited immunity means that anything Maxwell said that was truthful couldn't be used against her in the future. According to her attorney, David Oscar Markus, during the past days worth of talks, Maxwell was asked questions by DOJ on "maybe about 100 different people". He told CNN and other reporters, she answered the questions put to her and "didn't hold anything back". It's said Maxwell spoke for nine hours over the two days. Trump is mentioned within the Epstein files, with has name appearing multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. However, it is unknown whether Maxwell's questions involved the president. Trump had said earlier he hasn't thought about giving Maxwell a pardon or commutation for her cooperation. However he hadn't ruled it out. He explained how he is "allowed to do it" but hasn't thought about it. After Maxwell's arrest in connection to Epstein's crimes in 2020, Trump had said: "I do wish her well. I'm not looking for anything bad for her." Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in jail for trafficking underage girls. She was convicted of five charges in December 2021 for recruiting and grooming four girls to have sexual encounters with Epstein, then her boyfriend, between 1994 and 2004 following a month-long trial. Before imposing a 20-year sentence, Judge Nathan summarised the cases of several of the victims. She said Maxwell and Epstein used a "playbook" over the years, and the result was "incalculable" damage to their victims. "The sentence I impose must reflect the gravity of Ms Maxwell's conduct," she said. 'A substantial sentence will send an unmistakable message that those who engage in the sexual abuse and trafficking of underage victims will be held accountable by the law. 'The rule of law demands, and this court agrees, that whether you are rich or powerful or entirely unknown, nobody is above the law." Judge Nathan added: 'It is important to emphasise that although Epstein was central to this criminal scheme, Ms Maxwell is not being punished in place of Epstein or as a proxy for Epstein." She went on to call the crimes "heinous and predatory'. Maxwell continues to appeal her conviction. The initial appeal against her convictions was rejected by a US court in September last year. She currently isn't eligible for release from prison until July 2037.
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Shelter worker is mauled to death by two dogs rescued from abuse and fighting ring
A shelter worker was mauled to death by two rescue animals saved from a dog-fighting ring. Clifford Phillips Jr., 57, died this month at Second Chance Animal Alliance in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, during the attack, according to WREG. 'A dog was already in a pen and he was trying to put another dog in there and the other dog tried to run out, and he tried to hold him off with his foot and that dog grabbed his leg, pulled him down. And then the other dog jumped in with him. One of them was a pit, and the other was a pit mixed breed, and they killed him. They got it all on tape down there,' friend Dudley Woods told the outlet. The two dogs that attacked were at the shelter after being taken in a court-ordered seizure in an investigation into abuse and dog fighting, Yalobusha County Sheriff Jermain Gooch told the North Mississippi Herald. Police who responded to the scene had to shoot one dog dead to reach Phillips. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The other dog was euthanized. Phillips had worked at the shelter for two years, according to WREG. 'His quiet and caring demeanor helped him foster a love for animals and he remarked that he often felt more comfortable around his pets than around people, perhaps recalling the time he spent with Eon, his beloved childhood dog,' his obituary read. He had also worked at a bakery and a Piggy Wiggly in recent years, according to the obituary. Phillips loved watching social media videos - including seeing people's reactions to old TV shows and movies when being shown them for the first time. The 57-year-old was a regular attendee at Sylva Rena Baptist Church, his obituary stated. 'Quiet, caring, and unassuming, Cliff never met a stranger. He loved people. Cliff enjoyed meeting people and swapping stories about their past experiences and sharing details of his own,' the obituary stated. 'He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.' It's unclear what led the dogs to launch into their attack. The shelter released a statement in the wake of Phillips' death. 'It has been one week since the death at the shelter of our friend and employee Cliff Phillips,' it read. 'Alongside his family and many friends, we are devastated by this loss. While we cannot address every question or rumor we have seen over this past week, we have cooperated with local officials. 'Please know that we take the safety and security of our volunteers and employees seriously. We are proud of the work we do in our community and will remain vigilant as we continue to do it.' The victim's older brother, Charles, told WREG that his brother loved animals but he wondered if more could have been done. 'I went out and picked his vehicle up and his last paycheck, but she said, 'I'm sorry I have no words for it,' but she said, 'I'm so sorry for your loss and everything,'' Phillips told the station. 'They've always done good. They've took a lot of strays and puppies and stuff from around here and they've always done good with that.'
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ghislaine Maxwell's could dodge congressional subpoena for her testimony in Epstein investigation, lawyer says
Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell is unsure whether she will comply with a recent congressional subpoena to testify about his abuse of girls and whether others were involved, amid continued pressure for the government to disclose more about the case. 'We have to make a decision about whether she will do that or not,' her attorney David Oscar Markus told Politico. 'That's been scheduled for the week of August 11th and we haven't gotten back to them on whether we'll do that.' Maxwell could invoke the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to avoid testifying, while Congress could offer the former British socialite immunity. Maxwell is currently in a Florida federal prison serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors, which she has sought to overturn in the Supreme Court. Her lawyer said, Maxwell is hoping Donald Trump pardons her. A bipartisan group on the House Oversight Committee voted Tuesday to subpoena Maxwell amid renewed interest into the Epstein scandal. Maxwell sat with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in recent days for an in-depth interview in Florida. The interview featured Maxwell answering questions about ' 100 different people,' her lawyer said. DOJ officials spoke to her as fallout from the president's handling of releasing information in the Epstein case continues to mount. Democrats have criticized Maxwell's conversations with the DOJ, arguing they are a conflict of interest given the political pressure the Trump administration is facing to disclose more about the Epstein case and Trump's personal relationship with the disgraced investor. 'Under no circumstances should anyone from Trump's DOJ be allowed to privately interview Ghislaine Maxwell,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X of the interview. 'The conflict of interest is glaring. It stinks of high corruption.' The battle over Epstein info has played out beyond just Congress, which House Speaker Mike Johnson broke early for an August recess as legislators pressured the administration to disclose the full Epstein files. Last week, President Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal 's parent companies News Corp and Dow Jones, after the paper reported that Trump sent a 'bawdy' birthday letter to Epstein. The president has denied the letter is valid. The Epstein saga has created a rare wedge between Trump and members of his base and party. Trump and his allies campaigned on releasing more information about Epstein, and initially, the White House made steps toward fulfilling that promise, releasing what it called ' Phase 1 ' of the Epstein files to a group of conservative commentators and online personalities in February. However, most of it was redacted or already disclosed. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice announced there was no 'Epstein client list' despite speculation, and that no more disclosures would be made about the case, infuriating parts of the MAGA base. The president has chastised his own supporters for their intrigue over Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, calling the scandal a Democrat-led 'scam' and 'con job.' The president, who has previously denied being mentioned in the Epstein files, was in fact told by the Justice Department he was one of numerous high-profile figures mentioned in the course of investigations into Epstein, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
