House Passes Bipartisan Bill, 427-1, to Release Epstein Files After Years of Secrecy

The House of Representatives voted 427-1 on Tuesday to pass a bill requiring the Justice Department to release its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bipartisan bill, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, aims to make the documents publicly available after years of secrecy surrounding Epstein's case. The House vote marked a significant rebuke to President Donald Trump, who had opposed the bill and urged his supporters to dismiss the matter as a hoax. Despite Trump's efforts, the bill gained momentum, and House Speaker Mike Johnson's control over which bills reach the House floor was bypassed by a small group of lawmakers who introduced a petition in July. "We're not just talking about Jeffrey Epstein; we're talking about the victims of his abuse," said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a co-sponsor of the bill. "It's time for the truth to come out, and it's time for the American people to know what really happened." The bill's passage was seen as a victory for advocates of transparency and accountability, who have long pushed for the release of the Epstein files. The documents are expected to shed light on the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death in prison in 2019 and the handling of his case by the Justice Department. The Epstein Files Transparency Act was introduced in response to concerns that the Justice Department had been slow to release information about Epstein's case, despite a federal judge's order to do so. The bill would require the department to make the documents publicly available within 30 days of its passage. While the bill's passage was a significant development, its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. President Trump has said he will sign the bill if it passes the Senate, but some lawmakers have expressed concerns about the potential consequences of releasing the documents. The Senate is expected to take up the bill in the coming weeks, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle will be watching closely to see how it fares. The bill's passage would mark a significant shift in the handling of the Epstein case and could have implications for other high-profile cases involving government secrecy and transparency.