House votes 427-1 for release of unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files
WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a controversial resolution requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to release its unredacted files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates within 30 days, in a 427 to 1 vote.
All House members from Ohio supported the measure except for Salem Republican Mike Rulli, who was one of five Congress members who missed the vote. Rulli backed the bill but missed the vote because he was “dealing with a family emergency back home,” a spokesman said.
The measure would compel the attorney general to make public all documents related to Epstein’s criminal investigations, prosecutions, flight logs, and any individuals connected to his activities. It would prohibit withholding records based on “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity” to government officials or public figures, though it allows limited redactions for victim privacy, child sexual abuse materials, and properly classified national security information.
A few hours later, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York secured unanimous consent to approve the bill immediately upon its arrival in the Senate, paving the way for President Trump to sign it into law.
“I voted yes today because survivors deserve the truth and to know that their voices matter,” said a statement from U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat. ”Powerful men have long used their connections to avoid accountability. This is the beginning of the end of these harmful tactics.”
A statement from Bay Village Republican Rep. Max Miller said he backed the measure because he believes “in transparency and delivering the truth to the American people.”
“The American people deserve the truth,” said a statement from Warrensville Heights Democrat Shontel Brown. “Woe betide Senate Republicans who block this bill and block the release of the files. End the coverup, end the abuse of power, and release the files.”
A statement from Bowling Green Republican Bob Latta said the House Oversight Committee has already released 65,000 pages of Epstein documents, and that House Republicans have been leading a transparent investigation into Epstein’s activities “despite repeated distractions and obstruction from Democrats.”
“Today’s vote ensures full transparency moving forward while also protecting the victims of Epstein,” said Latta.
The only vote against the bill came from Louisiana Republican Clay Higgins, who said innocent people would be hurt by the type of broad release called for in the legislation.
The vote came after intense political maneuvering, with House Speaker Mike Johnson attempting to prevent the measure from reaching the floor for months. President Donald Trump reversed his longstanding opposition to its passage after its adoption became inevitable.
“Democrats have spent six months talking about Epstein, even though they had four years to do something about it,” said House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, a Champaign County Republican. “Why would they do that? Maybe it’s to go after President Trump.”
Trump, who moved in the same New York and Florida social circles as the disgraced financier, has appeared in Epstein’s files but has not been linked to any of Epstein’s improprieties.
In his own floor speech, Johnson accused Democrats of using the Epstein tragedy “to distract from their failures as a party and to try their best to try to tie President Trump somehow into this wretched scandal. The President had nothing to do with it.”
Johnson said he hopes that when the U.S. Senate considers the bill, it will be altered to protect the privacy of victims, and to block disclose of the names “of any whistleblower or informant, cause the release of Grand Jury materials or child sexual abuse materials, or undermine our national security.”
During last year’s presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly suggested he would release Epstein-related files in the U.S. government’s possession. Attorney General Pam Bondi fueled expectations by saying her office had received extensive materials from federal agencies and was preparing significant disclosures.
So far, however, the documents released have been modest and largely procedural, falling short of hoped-for transparency. While critics question whether material was withheld for political reasons, Bondi’s team points to legal limits and privacy obligations.
Who was Jeffrey Epstein and what’s the controversy?
Epstein died in federal custody in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death in a Manhattan jail cell was ruled a suicide.
Trump describes Epstein as someone he knew socially. He has said they had a falling out that resulted in Trump banning Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort. But documents such as a 2003 book compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday, which contained a drawing of a naked woman bearing Trump’s signature, has raised questions about their ties. Trump has denied creating the birthday book message and sued the Wall Street Journal for defamation after it broke the story.
Additional emails released by Democrats in November showed communications where Epstein discussed Trump spending time at his house with one of the abuse victims.
Other prominent people in Epstein’s social circle included former Democratic President Bill Clinton and Columbus retail magnate Leslie Wexner, who have not been accused of wrongdoing, and Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor —formerly Prince Andrew — whose royal status was formally revoked by King Charles III in 2025 amid renewed scrutiny of his ties to Epstein.
On Monday, former Harvard University President and U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers announced he would be stepping back from public commitments after the disclosure of his email exchanges with Epstein.
The legislation would also require the attorney general to report to Congress on all records released and withheld, including listing any government officials or politically exposed persons named in the materials. Any redactions would need to be published in the Federal Register with written justification, and the bill mandates that classified information be declassified to the maximum extent possible.
After voting to release the Epstein files, the House of Representatives weighed a measure to censure Democratic Virgin Islands Del. Stacey Plaskett for texting with Epstein during a committee hearing. South Russell Republican Rep. Dave Joyce, was among two Republicans who voted to refer the measure to the Ethics Committee instead of going forward with censure.
Plaskett said that Epstein - who lived in the Virgin Islands at the time - was among many people who texted her at the hearing after she had a “viral” exchange with Jordan where she told him “to basically shut up.”
At the time of the hearing where Congress members were questioning former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, she said that Epstein’s federal investigation wasn’t yet public. After she learned of his misdeeds, she said she donated his political contributions to women’s organizations in her community.
“You want to talk about texting felons?” Plaskett said. “How often do you text President Donald J. Trump?”
By: Sabrina Eaton
Source: Cleveland.com