Speaker Johnson on Epstein Documents
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced that he won’t be holding a vote on several documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case before Congress adjourns for the August break. This statement came after the House Rules Committee advanced measures last week, as the House prepares to recess on Thursday for several weeks.
In his remarks to reporters, Johnson mentioned that he prefers to allow the Trump administration more time to handle the situation. He remarked, “All I can say about Epstein’s files is: There seems to be a lack of transparency among House Republicans, the House, and the President. The President expresses a desire to release trustworthy information concerning Epstein and has asked the Attorney General to pursue a significant court file that’s currently underway,” Johnson stated at the Capitol.
He continued, “I believe the administration needs room to carry out what it’s doing. If Congressional action is deemed necessary or appropriate later, I’ll consider it. But I don’t think we’re quite there yet, especially since we align with the President’s stance.”
Last week, President Donald Trump called for the release of “all related large ju court testimony” regarding the Epstein case, as scrutiny of relationships with well-known figures associated with convicted sex offenders has intensified. Trump referred to the Epstein controversy as a “fraud” pushed by the Democrats in a post on his Truth Social account.
He also said, “Given the huge amount of attention given to Jeffrey Epstein, I’ve asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to obtain all relevant large ju court testimony, pending court approval. This fraud perpetuated by the Democrats must end now!”
Attorney General Pam Bondi later responded, stating, “President Trump – we are prepared to move through court tomorrow to release our transcripts for the Great Jue Court.”
This announcement followed a memo released by the DOJ and FBI, which concluded that there was no evidence of Epstein having a client list and that investigations indicated Epstein’s death was a suicide. Despite facing some criticism from a segment on the right, Trump supported Attorney General Bondy’s management of the issue.
“She provided us with a straightforward briefing. I believe these files were largely fabricated, and we’ve encountered issues similarly throughout the years, along with the various hoaxes tied to Russia,” Trump commented.
