A US congressional panel has released a trove of documents related to the federal investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House of Representatives Oversight Committee published 33,295 pages, including flight logs, jail surveillance video, court filings, audio recordings, and emails. Republicans and Democrats alike have commented that the files contain little new information, raising concerns about whether the justice department is withholding other Epstein records.
Pressure has been mounting from President Donald Trump's supporters for greater transparency in the investigation after the justice department stated there was no incriminating Epstein client list. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, ordered the documents to be made public, but admitted, As far as I can see, there's nothing new in the documents, during an interview with NBC News.
The released surveillance videos include footage from outside Epstein's jail cell on the night of his death, covering 13 hours and 41 seconds of video from August 9 to 10, 2019—the night he died. However, the newly released footage did not address the so-called missing minute—a jump in the timecode that occurred between 23:00 and 00:00, which has fueled various conspiracy theories about his death.
Comer revealed that the files come from a legal summons issued to the Department of Justice last month, but acknowledged that the material's significance is minimal. The documents include previously public materials and only provide some additional footage, such as flight logs obtained from US Customs and Border Protection showing Epstein's travel to his private island in the US Virgin Islands.
Democratic congresswoman Summer Lee stated that 97% of the documents had already been accessible to the public, without presenting a new client list or adding to the justice for victims.
Following the release, bipartisan calls have emerged for the Department of Justice to publish all of Epstein's files within 30 days, reflecting the public's demand for insight into the case. Lawmakers and Epstein survivors plan to hold a news conference on Capitol Hill to discuss the release and their ongoing pursuit for accountability.
Pressure has been mounting from President Donald Trump's supporters for greater transparency in the investigation after the justice department stated there was no incriminating Epstein client list. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, ordered the documents to be made public, but admitted, As far as I can see, there's nothing new in the documents, during an interview with NBC News.
The released surveillance videos include footage from outside Epstein's jail cell on the night of his death, covering 13 hours and 41 seconds of video from August 9 to 10, 2019—the night he died. However, the newly released footage did not address the so-called missing minute—a jump in the timecode that occurred between 23:00 and 00:00, which has fueled various conspiracy theories about his death.
Comer revealed that the files come from a legal summons issued to the Department of Justice last month, but acknowledged that the material's significance is minimal. The documents include previously public materials and only provide some additional footage, such as flight logs obtained from US Customs and Border Protection showing Epstein's travel to his private island in the US Virgin Islands.
Democratic congresswoman Summer Lee stated that 97% of the documents had already been accessible to the public, without presenting a new client list or adding to the justice for victims.
Following the release, bipartisan calls have emerged for the Department of Justice to publish all of Epstein's files within 30 days, reflecting the public's demand for insight into the case. Lawmakers and Epstein survivors plan to hold a news conference on Capitol Hill to discuss the release and their ongoing pursuit for accountability.
