Democrats plan full-court press on DOJ to release Epstein files

Source: msn/The Hill

12h


Democrats won a huge victory this week in getting Republicans to enact legislation compelling the Trump administration to release the full files on Jeffrey Epstein. Their next battle is keeping the pressure on the Justice Department to comply. Democrats are eyeing a series of tactical maneuvers — letters, lawsuits, additional subpoenas and votes of contempt — designed to keep the spotlight on the issue and ensure the documents see the light of day.

They’re bracing for a brawl. “It will definitely be a fight every day for a long time until we get all the materials released,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Attorney General Pam Bondi has dismissed the concerns, vowing that the DOJ will “follow the law.” The statute requires the administration to release all the unclassified case files on Epstein, the late child sex offender, within 30 days of its enactment on Nov. 20. She’s also been compelled to release the documents by an earlier subpoena issued by the House Oversight Committee.

But Bondi, at Trump’s urging, has also opened a new investigation into Democratic associates of Epstein, citing “new information” she says has surfaced since the DOJ deemed the case closed in July. That development has sparked fears among Democrats — and even some of Trump’s GOP allies — that the DOJ will invoke the ongoing probe to delay the mandatory release of those files indefinitely.

“We should pursue all options because these people are not going to comply with the law,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). “They don’t give a shit about the survivors. And they don’t care about the fact that Congress overwhelmingly — almost unanimously in both chambers — passed the bill that says you’ve got to release this stuff.” Trump, he added, “doesn’t want these files out.”

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-plan-full-court-press-on-doj-to-release-epstein-files/ar-AA1QXGcW