The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced on Monday that it anticipates receiving documents related to Jeffrey Epstein from the Department of Justice (DOJ) by the weekend.
“The DOJ has informed us that starting this Friday, they will begin delivering records associated with Epstein to the Board of Supervisors. There are extensive documents with the DOJ, and we are working to organize them to properly identify victims and address incidents of child sexual abuse,” a spokesperson said.
The announcement sparked concerns among Democrats on the committee. They pointed out that the DOJ has fallen short of its initial deadline and is unable to fully comply with the request for records.
The committee had summoned the DOJ for files concerning Epstein, who was facing sex trafficking charges when he died by suicide.
Recently, Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) pushed for “a complete, unedited Epstein file to be provided at the same time to both the majority and the minority parties.”
Comer’s statement coincided with Attorney General Bill Barr stepping down from the Epstein oversight panel.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the committee’s lead Democrat, indicated that after the initial document delivery, Democrats would pursue all the requested records from the DOJ.
“The key aspect for the House Oversight Committee is not only a ‘client list’ but rather a thorough and complete Epstein file,” he added.
“The bipartisan committee’s subpoena demands these documents by tomorrow. If they aren’t received, it could suggest an ongoing cover-up related to Trump’s past associations with Epstein,” he cautioned.
In a show of unity, Republican lawmakers Nancy Mace (SC), Scott Perry (Pa.), and Brian Jack (GA) collaborated with Democrats in July to back the document request.
The committee also advanced an allegation from Perry aimed at “broadening the committee’s investigation,” utilizing audio voting and issuing subpoenas to notable former Democratic figures, including former President Bill Clinton, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI director James Comey, and former Attorney General Robert Mueller.
