House GOP report on Jeffrey Epstein rips Justice Department, urges further investigation

The House Oversight Committee’s review of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein blasted the Justice Department’s handling of the case from the outset and in the decades since, and called for federal investigators to take a closer look at the late sex offender and his associates.“One thing is abundantly clear in the Epstein matter: the federal government failed over the course of decades and multiple administrations to ensure justice and protect Epstein survivors,” the committee’s Republicans said in a report released Tuesday. “DOJ must make renewed efforts to provide this needed justice and accountability to Epstein survivors.” “Too many survivors and other witnesses informed this Committee that they were never approached or properly questioned by federal authorities,” the 137-page report continued. “The DOJ should interview or, in some cases, reinterview key individuals who were part of the inner circle of Epstein and Maxwell,” a reference to Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.In a statement, Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said, “Epstein operated with impunity, shielded and enabled by powerful connections and a justice system that repeatedly failed his victims.”“The evidence we uncovered makes clear that the Department of Justice must interview or re-interview key witnesses, investigate Epstein associates accused of criminal activity, and ensure survivors have access to their records,” Comer said. In a statement, a Justice Department spokesperson said, “With all due respect, the Chairman’s recommendations have already been addressed. The Attorney General has repeatedly said that the Epstein case is not closed and there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking.”“The Department will continue following all additional investigative leads in matters relating to Jeffrey Epstein. Any victims with evidence and information are encouraged to reach out to the FBI,” the statement said.Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.Dept. of JusticeThe wealthy and politically connected Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He’d previously been investigated on charges he sexually abused dozens of women and girls over a decade earlier, but cut a deal with federal prosecutors in 2008 that allowed him to plead guilty to state charges involving a single underage victim. The deal resulted in Epstein serving 13 months in a Palm Beach County jail, where he was allowed to leave almost daily through a work-release program and have his own private security detail. He could have faced up to life behind bars had he been convicted in a federal complaint that was shelved as a result of the deal.The Justice Department and FBI said in a joint memo last year that Epstein had preyed on more than 1,000 victims, but the only other person to be charged in the case was Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges in 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison term. That joint memo said there was no evidence showing that other people should be charged in the investigation, and despite earlier vows to the contrary from top administration officials, no further information about Epstein’s case would be released. The political backlash to that memo led to the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), a law the mandated that documents related to the case be made public. Millions of pages of documents have been released, but some are still being withheld or were released with what critics have said are too many redactions. “Despite extraordinary efforts undertaken by DOJ staff to expedite the release of EFTA records, questions remain as to whether the DOJ has released all relevant documents,” the report released Tuesday said. The Republican report chided the department for releasing names of some victims in documents that it said should have been redacted, while redacting the names of Epstein allies who it said should have been identified. “These failures underscore the importance of meaningfully engaging with and working alongside victims to ensure their privacy is protected and their concerns are considered before sensitive records are released,” the report said. “Survivors of the crimes of Epstein and Maxwell also continue to ask the DOJ for their own means of accessing their personal files and documents. As of this report, DOJ has not permitted that to occur.” The House report said one way Epstein was able to operate was by getting his victims to sign nondisclosure agreements.The report called for Congress to “pass legislation protecting the ability of individuals with knowledge of sexual abuse and survivors to speak freely about these crimes, regardless of nondisclosure agreements.”The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, said in a statement that the Republican investigation was “incomplete,” and that Democrats will continue the probe when they take the majority in January. Comer held “zero public hearings” on Epstein, and DOJ “continues to illegally withhold over 2.5 million pages of documents,” Garcia said. “We will not allow the President and his allies to dismiss this investigation,” Garcia said. “We intend to hold real public hearings uplifting survivors and asking tough questions of the powerful men who associated with Epstein, including Donald Trump. Our work is just getting started.” Democrats on the committee released their own report last month that called for an independent special counsel to investigate Epstein’s ties to President Donald Trump.The two had a social relationship that ended before Epstein was first hit with criminal charges. The Democratic report alleged the Justice Department worked to cover up Trump’s connections to Epstein, and said an independent special counsel is necessary because Attorney General Todd Blanche was compromised because he was Trump’s personal attorney before joining the administration.Blanche has defended the Justice Department against the criticisms that it took too long to release the files and mishandled redactions, saying, “You’re talking about working through 6 million pieces of paper.” The White House said the allegations in the Democratic report were untrue and politically motivated. Trump has denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activity and said he had a falling out with Epstein because he thought he was a “creep.”The Republican report ripped Democrats for focusing on Trump in their own findings, saying they were “obsessed” with the president and had engaged in an “unfounded witch hunt.”