US House subcommittee votes to summons DOJ to release Epstein files

(MENAFN) A subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee voted on Wednesday to issue a subpoena compelling the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The vote on the subpoena request passed 8-2, with Republican Representatives Nancy Mace, Scott Perry, and Brian Jack joining all five Democrats on the subcommittee in approval.

Political analysts described the move as a bold challenge to House Republican leadership, which preferred to leave control over the Epstein files to the Trump-era Justice Department.

The DOJ is currently engaged in several legal disputes over whether it must disclose any records or grand jury testimonies connected to the investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking activities.

Epstein, who had been publicly acquainted with Donald Trump before his presidency, died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

"Yes, I think the American people want transparency," said Rep. Summer Lee, the subcommittee’s lead Democrat. "At the end of the day, we have to send a message that whether you are the littlest guy or you are the most powerful person in this nation, that if you commit a crime, if you do things that we aren’t supposed to do, that there will be some accountability."

She added, "Right now, if we don’t vote on this, or if we don’t release these files, we’re sending a message that if you are a powerful abuser, then you will have, you’ll be covered, right."

Before the subpoena can be formally issued, it must be signed by House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, a Republican, in accordance with committee procedures.

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