Epstein case files gained new urgency in Washington as the US House of Representatives voted 427 to 1 to compel the Department of Justice to release all investigative records tied to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bill, backed by a rare bipartisan majority, now heads to the Senate for final approval, where it could pass without changes and reach the president within days.
The vote came after internal disputes among Republican members. Only one lawmaker, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, voted against the measure. Higgins, who serves on the House Oversight Committee, argued that the bill could expose individuals who were never charged with wrongdoing and whose names appear in the files. He said the text as written could damage long standing legal standards and protections for victims and uninvolved parties.
He posted on social media after the vote, stating that the bill needed stronger privacy safeguards and claimed it undermined traditional criminal procedure.
Speaker Mike Johnson backed the bill while noting that he plans to push for adjustments in the Senate to improve privacy protections. He did not call for blocking the bill if changes were rejected but said amendments would prevent long term harm to the justice system.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the chamber sees little need for revisions due to the overwhelming margin in the House. He said that when a bill passes with near unanimous support and the president confirms he will sign it, altering the text may not be realistic.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will seek unanimous consent for passage. If no senator objects, the bill will move directly to the president without further debate. Schumer told colleagues that the bill could be signed into law the same day and criticized earlier efforts to delay its progress.
Former attempts to halt the bill drew attention during the week. The president had previously called the push to release the records a partisan attack, but he reversed his stance ahead of the vote and urged Republicans to support the legislation. When asked why the documents were not released earlier under executive power, he declined to provide a direct reason and repeated that he had no connection to Epstein.
The files in question include over 300 gigabytes of FBI records. They contain paper files, photographs, audio, video, and material collected from Epstein properties in New York, Florida, and his private island in the Caribbean. Some of the documents also involve grand jury material, although former prosecutors say strict disclosure rules could limit how much of that information becomes public.
Last week, the House Oversight Committee released roughly 20000 pages drawn from Epstein’s estate, including emails that were never part of the Justice Department archive. Lawmakers obtained those materials through direct subpoenas.
Both major parties have accused each other of political motives. Democrats say the administration resisted releasing records to shield allies, while Republicans say Democrats disclosed targeted documents to harm the former administration. Leaders from both sides deny these claims.
Recent polling shows public concern increasing. A Reuters Ipsos survey reported that public approval of the president’s handling of transparency and accountability dropped to 38 percent, the lowest figure of his second term.
At a briefing, the president would not commit to releasing full unredacted files if the Senate approves the bill. He repeated that he never visited Epstein’s island and dismissed claims linking him to the financier.
Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial. The death was ruled a suicide. He had been previously convicted in 2008 under a plea agreement that avoided federal prosecution and drew criticism for its leniency.
Schumer warned the administration against releasing partial information. He said that if officials attempt to publish only selective files while withholding others, the public will identify the effort as deliberate.
