Camille Naredo

A sign showing a photo of President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is displayed ahead of a news conference with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, calling on the Trump administration to release further information on the Jeffrey Epstein case, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2025. Oliver Contreras, AFP

A sign showing a photo of President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is displayed ahead of a news conference with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, calling on the Trump administration to release further information on the Jeffrey Epstein case, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2025. Democrats moved Wednesday to force US President Donald Trump to release files from the investigation into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, invoking an obscure law to keep up the pressure on an issue that has roiled the US president's administration. President Trump said on July 29 that he fell out with Jeffrey Epstein because the convicted sex offender had poached staff from his club's spa, including the woman at the center of an underage sex scandal involving Prince Andrew. Trump also confirmed that one of the Mar-a-Lago spa attendants taken by his longtime friend Epstein was Virginia Giuffre, who brought a civil case against Epstein friend Prince Andrew, accusing him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)

Article (news)

TRUMP

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753896051392AFP__20250730__68CE9CK__v1__MidRes__UsPoliticsCongressJusticeEpstein.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A sign showing a photo of President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is displayed ahead of a news conference with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, calling on the Trump administration to release further information on the Jeffrey Epstein case, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2025. Oliver Contreras, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A sign showing a photo of President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is displayed ahead of a news conference with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, calling on the Trump administration to release further information on the Jeffrey Epstein case, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2025. <em>Oliver Contreras, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>WASHINGTON -- Democrats moved Wednesday to force Donald Trump to release files from the investigation into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, invoking an obscure law to keep up the pressure on an issue that has roiled the US president&#x27;s administration.</p><p>The White House has been facing increasingly intense demands to be more transparent about the case of the disgraced financier, who died in federal prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.</p><p>The president raised further questions about his past relationship with Epstein on Tuesday when he told reporters he fell out with his former friend after he &quot;stole&quot; employees from the spa at Trump&#x27;s Mar-a-Lago resort.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/7/21/trump-and-epstein-what-was-their-relationship-0932">READ: Trump and Epstein -- What was their relationship?</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/7/29/trump-says-fell-out-with-epstein-because-he-was-taking-mar-a-lago-spa-staff-0657">READ: Trump says fell out with Epstein because he was taking Mar-a-Lago spa staff</a></div><p>The Justice Department angered Trump supporters earlier this month when it said Epstein had died by suicide and had no &quot;client list&quot; -- rebuffing conspiracy theories about the supposed complicity of high-profile Democrats that leading figures in Trump&#x27;s MAGA movement had been pushing for years.</p><p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democrats on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee wrote to the Justice Department asking for the materials under a section of federal law known as the &quot;rule of five.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The public has a right to know who enabled, knew of or participated in one of the most heinous sex trafficking operations in history,&quot; Schumer told reporters at the Capitol.</p><p>&quot;Let me remind everyone of what&#x27;s happened in recent months. Donald Trump campaigned on releasing the Epstein files. He broke that promise.&quot;</p><p>The measure -- introduced a century ago but rarely used -- requires government departments to provide relevant information if any five members of the Senate&#x27;s chief watchdog panel request it.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Republicans divided -</strong></div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABdSbe_d3TNi4ZjX"></script><p>It is not clear if it could be enforced in court, but even if the effort fails it keeps the spotlight on an issue that has upended Trump&#x27;s summer, dividing Republicans and leading to the early closure of the House of Representatives.</p><p>Trump has urged his supporters to drop demands for the Epstein files, but Democrats in Congress -- with limited Republican support -- have been seeking a floor vote to force their release.</p><p>House Oversight Committee Democrats, backed by some Republicans, approved a subpoena last week for the Justice Department to hand over the documents, although the demand has yet to be sent.</p><p>Lawmakers have also been seeking testimony from Epstein&#x27;s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for her role in his alleged crimes.</p><p>Maxwell&#x27;s lawyer has said she would speak to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee if granted immunity for her testimony.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/7/19/trump-sues-murdoch-newspaper-over-epstein-sex-bombshell-0943">READ: Trump sues Murdoch, newspaper over Epstein sex bombshell</a></div><p>&quot;The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell&#x27;s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony,&quot; a spokesman for the panel said.</p><p>Democrats have also sought to attach votes on the Epstein files to unrelated bills multiple times, prompting Speaker Mike Johnson to send lawmakers home for the summer a day early last week rather than risk them succeeding.</p><p>The Supreme Court justices will consider at a September 29 conference ahead of their October term whether to hear an appeal by Maxwell of her sex trafficking conviction.</p><p>&quot;This crime by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell was not a victimless crime... It was about exploiting women, in fact, girls -- girls who were mercilessly and repeatedly subject to abuse and trafficking,&quot; said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>The president raised further questions about his past relationship with Epstein on Tuesday when he told reporters he fell out with his former friend after he "stole" employees from the spa at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.</p>

The president raised further questions about his past relationship with Epstein on Tuesday when he told reporters he fell out with his former friend after he "stole" employees from the spa at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

Democrats use obscure law to seek release of Epstein files

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Democrats use obscure law to seek release of Epstein files

Agence France-Presse,

Frankie Taggart

Published July 31, 2025 01:47 AM PHT

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