By Stephen Groves | Related Press
WASHINGTON — A key Home committee is wanting into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for intercourse trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump’s Division of Justice for recordsdata within the case in addition to maintain a deposition of Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Republican-led Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee acted simply earlier than Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., despatched lawmakers residence early for a monthlong break from Washington. The committee’s strikes are proof of the mounting stress for disclosure in a case that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to maneuver previous. However they had been additionally simply the beginning of what generally is a drawn-out course of.
Right here’s what may occur subsequent within the Home inquiry as lawmakers search solutions in a case that has sparked rampant hypothesis since Epstein’s loss of life in 2019 and extra not too long ago prompted many within the Trump administration to renege on guarantees for an entire accounting.
Subpoena for the Epstein recordsdata
Democrats, joined by three Republicans, had been in a position to efficiently provoke the subpoena from a subcommittee simply because the Home was leaving Washington for its August recess. But it surely was simply the beginning of negotiations over the subpoena.
The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and private info of any victims, however apart from that, their demand for info is kind of broad, encompassing “un-redacted Epstein files.”
Because the parameters of the subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it’s fulfilled inside 30 days from when it’s served to Lawyer Common Pam Bondi. They’ve additionally proposed a listing of doc calls for, together with the prosecutorial selections surrounding Epstein, paperwork associated to his loss of life, and communication from any president or government official relating to the matter.
In the end, Republicans who management the committee could have extra energy over the scope of the subpoena, however the truth that it was accredited with a robust bipartisan vote provides it some heft.
The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., mentioned he advised the speaker that “Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that’s what the American people want.”
Will Congress depose Ghislaine Maxwell?
Comer has mentioned that he’s hoping that workers from the committee can interview Maxwell below oath on Aug. 11 at or close to the federal jail in Florida, the place she is serving a prolonged sentence for youngster intercourse trafficking.
In a congressional deposition, the topic sometimes has an legal professional current to assist them reply — or not reply — questions whereas sustaining their civil rights. Topics can also decline to reply questions if it may very well be used towards them in a felony case, although on this occasion, that may not matter as a result of Maxwell has already been convicted of lots of the issues she is going to seemingly be requested about.
Maxwell has the flexibility to barter among the phrases of the deposition, and he or she already carried out 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Division officers this previous week.
Democrats, nevertheless, warn that Maxwell is to not be trusted.
“We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and not a good person to a lot of people,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the highest Democrat on the oversight committee, advised reporters this week.
The Home desires to subpoena others
Committee Republicans additionally initiated a movement to subpoena a bunch of different individuals, together with former President Invoice Clinton, former Sen. Hillary Clinton, in addition to the previous attorneys common courting again to Alberto Gonzales, who served below George W. Bush.
It’s not clear how this sweeping listing of proposed subpoenas will play out, however Comer has mentioned, “We’re going to move quickly on that.”
How will Pam Bondi comply?
Trump isn’t any stranger to combating towards congressional investigations and subpoenas. And as with most subpoenas, the Justice Division can negotiate the phrases of the way it fulfills the subpoena. It may additionally make authorized arguments towards handing over sure info.
Joshua A. Levy, who teaches on congressional investigations at Georgetown Legislation College and is a companion at Levy Firestone Muse, mentioned that the outcomes of the subpoena “depend on whether the administration wants to work through the traditional accommodation process with the House and reach a resolution or if one or both sides becomes entrenched in its position.”
If Congress is just not glad with Bondi’s response — or if she had been to refuse at hand over any info — there are a number of methods lawmakers can attempt to implement the subpoena. Nonetheless, that will require a vote to carry Bondi in contempt of Congress.
It’s virtually exceptional for one political social gathering to vote to carry considered one of its personal members in contempt of Congress, however the Epstein saga has additionally minimize throughout political strains and pushed a wedge within the GOP.
Rising stress on the Trump administration for disclosure
In the end, the bipartisan vote to subpoena the recordsdata confirmed how political stress is mounting on the Trump administration to reveal the recordsdata. Politics, coverage and the legislation are all sure up collectively on this case, and lots of in Congress wish to see a full accounting of the intercourse trafficking investigation.
“We can’t allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers,” mentioned Rep. Summer time Lee, D-Pa., a committee member.
The Trump administration is already dealing with the potential for much more political rigidity. When Congress comes again to Washington in September, a bipartisan group of Home lawmakers is working to advance to a full Home vote a invoice that goals to drive the general public launch of the Epstein recordsdata.
Initially Printed: July 26, 2025 at 9:34 AM PDT
