The “Epstein Records Transparency Act” cleared the House on November 18 with overwhelming bipartisan support, with only one lawmaker voting against it out of 428 members participating.
The Senate swiftly approved the bill by unanimous consent, sending it directly to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature. Trump has pledged not to veto the measure.
Introduced in July by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, the bill requires the Justice Department to disclose all documents related to the investigation of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. This includes flight logs, lists of individuals and organizations connected to the case, and any records concerning destroyed, missing, or altered evidence. The bill allows the DOJ to withhold only materials that could interfere with ongoing federal investigations.
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After Republican leaders repeatedly tried to delay the vote, House Democrats — joined by four Republicans — triggered a special procedure to force the bill onto the floor. Lawmakers argued that the public deserves full transparency in a case involving more than 1,000 victims. President Trump reversed his stance on November 17, announcing he supported releasing the records because he had “nothing to hide.” AFP reported that Trump shifted his position after realizing most Republicans were unwilling to back him on the issue.
“I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump told reporters at the White House during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “I threw him out of my club once I learned he was a sick pervert.” Trump and Epstein, once acquaintances, reportedly ended their association in 2004 over a real-estate dispute.
Epstein, born in 1953, was arrested in New York in July 2019 on charges of recruiting and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14. He faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted. He denied the allegations and was held at the Manhattan Correctional Center while awaiting trial.
In August 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell from an apparent suicide.
President Trump has denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where prosecutors say criminal activity occurred, and insisted he had no knowledge of Epstein’s alleged crimes.