Both chambers of Congress have approved legislation requiring the U.S. Justice Department to release previously sealed files on the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The House of Representatives passed the measure overwhelmingly, 427-1, while the Senate signaled it would pass the bill swiftly after receiving it. President Donald Trump must now sign the bill into law, a step he has indicated he will take.
Trump recently reversed his prior opposition, urging Republicans to support disclosure of the records after pushback from constituents and political allies.
Earlier on Tuesday, survivors of Epstein spoke at the Capitol in support of the measure, with one survivor describing years of “institutional betrayal.”
The “Epstein files” encompass thousands of documents collected during criminal investigations, including interview transcripts with victims and witnesses, and items seized during raids on Epstein’s properties.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN he expected the bill to reach the upper chamber on Wednesday morning, after which it would be passed and sent to the president for his signature.
Trump, meanwhile, downplayed the timing of the release, calling the matter a distraction in a social media post, emphasizing the need for Republicans to focus on what he described as legislative victories.
The president’s historical ties to Epstein have resurfaced in media coverage after over 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate were released, some referencing Trump and other public figures—but with no indication of wrongdoing.
Trump’s reversal—from criticizing lawmakers seeking disclosure to saying there was “nothing to hide”—caught some in Washington by surprise. Republican leadership, which had previously aligned with the president in opposing the files’ release, shifted positions abruptly.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had labeled the push to release the files a “Democrat hoax,” voted in favor of the measure. Some Republicans, like Louisiana’s Clay Higgins, voiced concerns about potential harm to “innocent people” from the release.
The measure’s journey to the Senate was expedited by the decisive House vote. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer invoked unanimous consent to bring the bill to the floor, with no objections, debate, or amendments.
While Trump could have ordered the files released without congressional action, the bill legally obliges Attorney General Pam Bondi to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment. This includes Justice Department communications, flight logs, and connections to individuals and entities associated with Epstein.
The law allows Bondi to withhold information that could compromise active investigations or identify victims. Trump has requested that the Justice Department investigate Epstein’s alleged ties to major banks and several prominent Democrats.
Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019 in a death ruled a suicide while awaiting sex trafficking charges. He had previously been convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
During two criminal probes, thousands of documents were compiled, including victim and witness interviews. Trump and Epstein had previously moved in overlapping social circles, though the president asserts he severed ties years before Epstein’s 2008 conviction and denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Recent Democratic releases on the House Oversight Committee included emails between Epstein and Maxwell, now serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Some emails reference Trump and other high-profile figures, but there is no evidence of their involvement in criminal activity.
Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein accuser who died in April, was referenced in one email. Giuffre’s family praised her advocacy. Her brother, Sky Roberts, said: “She did it, she paved the way… for her survivor sisters to come forward, and we won’t stop.”
The White House has defended Trump, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the email releases “selectively leaked” by Democrats to “create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.” Photo by Martin Falbisoner (1978–), Wikimedia commons.
