It may be painfully slow, but House Republicans insist that the Jeffrey Epstein files are going to be made public.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced Tuesday that the Department of Justice will begin delivering the subpoenaed Epstein files on Friday, extending the original Tuesday noon deadline after what he described as productive cooperation from the Trump administration.
The Kentucky Republican made the announcement right at the deadline for the Justice Department to turn over a massive pile of documents and communications relating to the convicted international sex trafficker and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Democrats have accused Republicans of covering-up of potentially damaging information.
“Officials with the Department of Justice have informed us that the Department will begin to provide Epstein-related records to the Oversight Committee this week on Friday. There are many records in DOJ’s custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted,” Comer said in his statement announcing the extension.
The Republican chairman praised the administration’s approach to the sensitive investigation, which includes the names of many victims.
“I appreciate the Trump administration’s commitment to transparency and efforts to provide the American people with information about this matter,” Comer said.
The committee’s probe extends far beyond the Epstein files themselves, and is also investigating how federal law enforcement mishandled the case over multiple administrations.
Comer told reporters Monday that his panel was having “good conversations” with the Justice Department but acknowledged the scope of the document production.
“You can imagine how many documents there are,” Comer said. “I think we’ll receive the documents very soon. They’re compiling everything together.”
The chairman said the Justice Department’s approach was a “good faith effort” to comply with the congressional subpoena while giving proper protection to Epstein’s sex trafficking victims.
The subpoena demands all documents and communications in the Justice Department’s possession relating to both Epstein and Maxwell, as well as files “further relating or referring to human trafficking, exploitation of minors, sexual abuse, or related activity.”
This includes materials on the Justice Department’s prosecutions of both individuals, Epstein’s controversial 2007 non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida, and any materials related to Epstein’s mysterious death while in federal custody.
According to the subpoena obtained by Fox News, the committee asked for documents to be largely unredacted “except for redactions to protect the personally identifiable information of victims, for any child sex abuse material as defined by the Department of Justice Manual, and any other redactions required by law.”
The committee spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that the panel intends to make the records public.
“The Committee intends to make the records public after thorough review to ensure all victims’ identification and child sexual abuse material are redacted. The Committee will also consult with the DOJ to ensure any documents released do not negatively impact ongoing criminal cases and investigations,” the spokesperson said.
The investigation gained momentum after a House Oversight subcommittee voted in favor of issuing the subpoenas during an unrelated hearing in July. The Democratic-led motion for the “full, unredacted Epstein files” passed with support from three Republicans on the panel.
In the same subcommittee meeting, Republicans successfully moved to subpoena a wide range of former federal officials involved in the Epstein probe, including former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and several former attorneys general and FBI directors.
The first of those depositions occurred Monday when former Attorney General Bill Barr, who served during President Donald Trump’s first term, testified before the panel behind closed doors. Comer told reporters that Barr testified he did not know of any information that would implicate Trump in wrongdoing related to the Epstein case.
The Clintons both have separate deposition dates scheduled for October. Comer also subpoenaed Maxwell but agreed to defer her scheduled deposition until after the Supreme Court hears her appeal to overturn her conviction.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has taken a hands-on approach to addressing lingering questions about the case. She directed her deputy, Todd Blanche, to interview Maxwell in person to uncover any possible new information that might have been overlooked in previous investigations.
The political stakes surrounding the investigation have grown significantly as Speaker Mike Johnson has moved to delay a full House vote on publicly releasing the Justice Department’s Epstein files until September.
The Louisiana Republican has said he supports transparency in the case, but wants to give Trump administration officials room to handle the matter through the committee process.