Democrats use obscure law to seek release of Epstein files

Straits Times

5 days ago

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The White House has been facing increasingly intense demands to be more transparent about Jeffrey Epstein.
WASHINGTON - Democrats moved on July 30 to force Mr Donald Trump to release files from
the investigation into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , invoking an obscure law to keep up the pressure on an issue that has roiled the US president's administration.
The White House has been facing increasingly intense demands to be more transparent about the disgraced financier, who died in federal prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
The president raised further questions about his past relationship with Epstein on July 29 when he told reporters he fell out with his former friend after the disgraced financier
'stole' employees from the spa at his Mar-a-Lago resort .
The Justice Department angered Mr Trump supporters earlier in July when it said Epstein had died by suicide and had no 'client list' – rebuffing conspiracy theories about the supposed complicity of high-profile Democrats that leading figures in Trump's Maga movement had been pushing for years.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee wrote to the Justice Department asking for the materials under a section of federal law known as the 'rule of five'.
The measure – introduced a century ago but rarely used – requires government departments to provide relevant information if any five members of the Senate's chief watchdog panel request it.
It is not clear if it could be enforced in court but even if the effort fails it keeps the spotlight on an issue that has upended Mr Trump's summer, dividing Republicans and leading to the early closure of the House of Representatives.
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Mr Trump has urged his supporters to drop demands for the Epstein files, but Democrats in Congress – with limited Republican support – have been seeking a floor vote to force their release.
House Oversight Committee Democrats, backed by some Republicans, approved a subpoena last week for the Justice Department to hand over the documents, although the demand has yet to be sent.
Lawmakers have also been seeking testimony from Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for her role in his crimes.
Maxwell's lawyer has said she would speak to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
if granted immunity for her testimony .
'The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms Maxwell's attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony,' a spokesman for the panel said.
Democrats have also sought to attach votes on the Epstein files to unrelated bills multiple times, prompting Speaker Mike Johnson to send lawmakers home for the summer a day early last week rather than risk them succeeding.
'Donald Trump promised he would release the Epstein files while he was on the campaign trail. He made that promise, and he has yet to do it,' Mr Schumer said in a speech on July 29 on the Senate floor. AFP