(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social Wednesday evening that he had signed legislation compelling the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disclose records connected to deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The presidential action followed swift congressional approval. The U.S. House passed the measure by an overwhelming margin Tuesday, with the upper chamber voting unanimously hours later to advance it immediately upon receipt. The Senate finalized passage Wednesday.

First introduced in the House this past mid-July, the legislation stalled for months under Republican leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. Democratic Representative Ro Khanna and Republican Representative Thomas Massie spearheaded a discharge petition to bypass leadership—a procedural maneuver requiring 218 signatures to trigger a floor vote. The threshold was met November 12, coinciding with the House's return from a 54-day break.

Titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law mandates that the DOJ make public all declassified records, documentation, correspondence, and investigative evidence related to Epstein's case.

Covered materials encompass information about Ghislaine Maxwell—who collaborated with Epstein in sexually exploiting minors—along with flight manifests, travel documentation, and individuals identified or mentioned during Epstein's investigation and legal proceedings.

The DOJ retains authority to redact victims' personal details and content that might compromise ongoing federal probes.

Epstein maintained relationships with numerous influential American political and corporate leaders. Following his arrest on sexual offense allegations, he was found dead in his cell in August 2019—a death authorities classified as suicide.

Throughout his 2024 White House bid, Trump pledged to declassify Epstein-related materials if victorious. However, on July 7, the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a statement clarifying no "incriminating client list" exists, no evidence supports murder theories regarding Epstein's death, and no additional files would be released.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published Epstein-connected documents involving Trump last week. Republicans responded by releasing a substantially larger document set, alleging selective disclosure by opponents.

Trump subsequently ordered the DOJ to investigate prominent Democrats linked to Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton, ex-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman—a significant Democratic contributor. American media outlets characterize this directive as retaliation against recent Democratic document releases.

"Democrats have used the 'Epstein' issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday night as he announced he had signed the bill.

Tuesday evening, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer condemned Trump's handling of the matter, asserting the president "has tried to cover up for Jeffrey Epstein long enough."

"This isn't about Democrats versus Republicans or about Congress versus the president," Schumer said. "This is about giving the American people the transparency they've been crying for. This is about holding accountable all the people in Jeffrey Epstein's circle who raped, groomed, targeted, and enabled the abuse of hundreds of girls for years and years."

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