In a reversal from his previous position, US President, Donald Trump has called on House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein files.
The major shift in Trump’s stance comes as potentially dozens of Republicans signalled that they were willing to break ranks, and vote for the release of the documents.
The House is expected to vote this week on legislation that would compel the justice department to publicly release all the files.
Trump asserted in a post on Truth Social that House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, “because we have nothing to hide.”
“And it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown.’”
Donald Trump
Known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the aim of the bill is to make the justice department release all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
Both Democrats and some Republicans have been backing the legislation. Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in an interview with a news agency on Sunday that as many as 100 Republicans could vote in favour.
Trump’s reversal comes after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee last week published three email exchanges, including correspondence between Epstein, who died in 2019 in prison, and his long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. Some of those exchanges make references to Trump.
Hours after the release of those exchanges, House Republicans released a far larger tranche of 20,000 files to counter what they said was a Democratic effort to “cherry-pick” documents. They also said it was an attempt to “create a fake narrative to slander President Trump.”
The House of Representatives then announced there would be a vote next week on a much wider release of Epstein material.
“The Department of Justice has already turned over tens of thousands of pages to the Public on “Epstein,” are looking at various Democrat operatives (Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, etc.) and their relationship to Epstein, and the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE! All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT.”
Donald Trump
Trump’s reference to Clinton comes after the US justice department confirmed that it will investigate paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged links to major banks and several prominent Democrats, including former US President Bill Clinton.
Trump said last week that he would ask Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI to look into Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with Clinton and others.
Trump’s post also came after House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested in comments to a news agency that a vote on releasing the documents would put to rest allegations that Trump had any connection to Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of teenage children.
House Speaker Mike Johnson previously called the effort a “moot point” given an ongoing House Oversight Committee investigation, which has released thousands of documents, including from Epstein’s estate. However, he told the news agency, “We’ll just get this done and move it on. There’s nothing to hide.”
Bill To Release Epstein Files Awaits Uncertain Fate In Senate
Supporters of the bill appear to have enough votes for it to pass the House, though it is unclear whether it would pass the Senate.
Majority Leader John Thune previously told a news agency that he did not think the chamber needs to pass the legislation, citing the Justice Department’s release of thousands of pages related to the case.
In remarks to a news agency on Sunday Massie said that he hopes Thune will “do the right thing,” insisting that “pressure is going to be there if we get a big vote in the House.”
Trump would have to sign off on the release of the documents if it passes both chambers.
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