Epstein survivors give Congress more names of persons of interest, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer says

“We learned of some additional names today,” Comer told reporters, calling the bipartisan meeting “as bipartisan as anything I’ve seen in the nine years I’ve been here.”

He added that the committee will work to provide “the transparency [Americans] seek” and “accountability in memory of the victims who have already passed away.”

A two-hour emotional session

The private session lasted more than two hours and, according to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), was deeply moving.

“Some of the ladies have shared these stories publicly before, but at least two of the women had never told their stories before, one for the very first time in the room,” Johnson said. “There were tears in the room. There was outrage. It was both heartbreaking and infuriating.”

Johnson added that some of the women had been groomed by Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell “30 years ago” and have been pursuing civil litigation for decades.

Document trove and subpoenas

The Oversight panel has already received 34,000 pages of documents from the Justice Department. Comer has also issued subpoenas to about a dozen former federal officials, including:

Former President Bill Clinton

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller

So far, only former Attorney General Bill Barr has testified. Ex-Miami US Attorney Alex Acosta, who helped secure Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, has also been subpoenaed.

Push for broader disclosure

While Johnson has opposed a discharge petition by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to force the release of all “Epstein files,” he said the House will advance a vote this week on furthering the committee’s inquiry.

House Committee releases first batch of Jeffrey Epstein documents

A US House committee on Tuesday (September 2) released more than 33,000 pages of documents from the federal investigation into disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a move aimed at increasing transparency in a case that continues to grip US politics.

The documents, handed over by the Justice Department, were uploaded to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s website. Committee chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said the process is ongoing.

“We’re in the process of uploading those documents for full transparency so everyone in America can see them,” Comer told reporters. “We want those to be public as soon as possible.”

Political flashpoint

Epstein’s case has long been a political lightning rod, especially for supporters of President Donald Trump. Trump has publicly distanced himself from the financier, calling him a “creep.”

The FBI and Justice Department concluded in July that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in custody and did not maintain a so-called “client list.” Still, skepticism remains strong among Trump’s base.

What’s in the release?

It is not immediately clear what new material Tuesday’s release contains. Many of the documents are heavily redacted, with identifying details removed to protect victims and prevent dissemination of child sexual abuse material.

Democrats downplayed the release, noting that much of the material had already been made public.

Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, said:

“The stories were horrific and infuriating. In the days and weeks ahead we will be hearing more from these victims.”