President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday compelling his administration to release all federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein, a striking turnaround after initially resisting the idea despite mounting pressure from within his own party.
According to The Associated Press, the new law directs the Justice Department to disclose every document and communication tied to Epstein, including details about the investigation into his 2019 death inside a federal jail.
Officials have 30 days to release the records. While redactions will be allowed to protect victims or active investigations, the bill blocks the DOJ from hiding information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
Trump announced his decision on social media, accusing Democrats of exploiting the controversy.
“Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories,” he wrote.
Congressional interest in forcing the release of the files began as a seemingly unlikely effort backed by Democrats, a Republican opponent of the president, and a few once-loyal Trump allies. As recently as last week, the administration called Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado to the Situation Room in an attempt to persuade her to step back from the bill. She refused.
Over the weekend, as bipartisan demand grew, Trump abruptly shifted. He argued that the debate had become a distraction from the GOP agenda and signaled he wanted to move beyond the fight.
“I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had,” he said Tuesday in explaining his reversal.
The House approved the legislation on a lopsided 427-1 vote, with Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., as the lone dissenter. He warned that the bill could unintentionally expose information about individuals who had no wrongdoing connected to the case. The Senate later passed the measure unanimously without a formal vote.
Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein socially years before the financier’s crimes came to light, but he has insisted he had no knowledge of Epstein’s illegal activities and cut off contact long before his arrest.
Ahead of Trump’s return to the White House, several of his closest allies promoted theories alleging that federal officials were hiding damaging information about the case. With the new law now signed, the government will be required to reveal what those files contain.
