US House committee releases more than 33,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein files

The US House of Representatives oversight committee said on Tuesday that it had released more than 33,000 pages of records related to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The release of justice department files includes years-old court filings related to Epstein and his former girlfriend and associate Ghislaine Maxwell as well as what appears to be body cam footage from police searches and police interviews. The files appear to contain information that is already public knowledge.

The records were posted online as the White House urged Republican lawmakers not to support a discharge petition from Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, which would force the release of all of the Epstein files.

James Comer, the Republican chair of the committee, said on Tuesday that there was no need for the discharge petition since the committee had subpoenaed the records. The question of how many of the files will be released by the committee remains unanswered.

Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker, said the petition was “moot” because of the release.

“It’s superfluous at this point, and I think we’re achieving the desired end here,” he said.

The Trump administration has faced months of criticism over its decision not to release additional files related to Epstein. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from July found that most Americans and the majority of Republicans believe the government is hiding details about the case.

More details soon …