U.S. House and Senate vote to make Justice Department release Epstein files

Both chambers of the U.S. Congress have moved quickly to compel the Department of Justice to release its investigative files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House approved the vote 427–1, and Senate leaders said they would clear it without delay, sending it to President Donald Trump for his signature. Trump, who recently reversed his opposition, has said he will sign the bill. The vote followed testimony at the Capitol from Epstein survivors, who stated they suffered years of “institutional betrayal.”

A protester holds a sign related to the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files outside the U.S. Capitol on November 12, 2025. (Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)

The files include thousands of documents collected during federal investigations, such as witness interviews, internal Justice Department communications, and evidence seized from Epstein’s properties. Materials related to Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, were also included.

This legislative push has complicated political opinions in Washington. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who previously dismissed the release effort as a “Democrat hoax,” voted in favor, while Trump’s abrupt shift—after weeks of discouraging Republicans from supporting disclosure—caught GOP leadership off guard. Some of the urgency stemmed from the recent release of more than 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate, which reference Trump and other high-profile individuals without alleging wrongdoing.

Under the bill, Attorney General Pam Bondi would have 30 days to release all unclassified Epstein-related materials. However, she could still withhold information tied to active investigations or identifying victims. Trump has recently urged the Justice Department to investigate Epstein’s alleged links to major banks and prominent Democrats, potentially complicating what ultimately becomes public.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting his trial on federal sex-trafficking charges; he had previously been convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor.

Associations with powerful figures continue to push public pressure for transparency. Recently released emails between Epstein and Maxwell, published by House Democrats, reference Trump and others, though accusers—including the late Virginia Giuffre—have said they never witnessed Trump engage in abuse.

The bipartisan bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican who has clashed with Trump over the matter, and Democrat Ro Khanna. If signed, it would mark one of the most significant steps toward public disclosure in the long-running Epstein saga.