Washington D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Tuesday mandating the public release of investigative files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The move signals broad support for an effort that faced months of resistance.
The bill, which requires the Justice Department to release the files, passed with a near-unanimous vote of 427 to 1. Known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, it compels the DOJ to make public documents pertaining to Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, within 30 days of the bill becoming law. Exceptions will be made for personal information of survivors and other sensitive materials.
President Trump reportedly dropped his opposition to the measure earlier this week, paving the way for Republican support in the House. Despite their eventual support, some Republican lawmakers criticized the vote, calling it a “show” and claiming Democrats are seeking the documents to attack the President.
The vote came after a sustained effort to force the issue onto the House agenda. Last week, four Republican representatives joined all Democrats in signing a petition to allow the matter to be brought to a public vote. While House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly opposed the move initially, he ultimately supported the bill’s passage, stating that he anticipates the Senate will address what he described as “significant flaws” in the text.
Senate Republican leaders have not yet committed to bringing the bill to a vote, leaving its future uncertain. Last week, President Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate prominent Democrats’ ties to Epstein, a directive Attorney General Pam Bondi has stated she will act on immediately.
Many of President Trump’s staunchest supporters believe the government is withholding sensitive documents that would expose Epstein’s connections to powerful public figures who have so far evaded scrutiny.
