Senate Republicans this week blocked a Democratic amendment to the annual defence authorisation bill that would have required the Justice Department to release case files tied to Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation. The motion failed by a 51-49 vote; only two Republicans, Josh Hawley and Rand Paul, joined all Democrats in backing it. GOP leaders argued the amendment was inappropriate for a defence spending bill.
In the House of Representatives, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers—Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna—have introduced a discharge petition aimed at forcing a floor vote on full, unclassified DOJ documents related to Epstein. The House Oversight Committee has already published more than 33,000 pages of material from Epstein’s estate, including his will and some correspondence, but those disclosures are heavily redacted and many victims and legislators say they fall short of full transparency.
One of the more provocative findings is the release of a “birthday book” created for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. Among its contents is a letter purportedly from Trump addressing Epstein as a “pal,” alongside a crude sketch. The White House immediately denied the letter was authentic.
Trump has criticised calls for more disclosure, calling them a “Democrat hoax,” and has pushed back against legislative attempts to force any broader release of documents. Attorney General Pam Bondi noted earlier that no “client list” implicating prominent figures had been found, a conclusion that has met scepticism from both victims and some political insiders.