James Comer (photo)
The Republican Chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in the US Congress, James Comer, stated on the 18th that the US Department of Justice has agreed to provide documents related to the case of late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein to the committee.
According to reports from the Washington Post and Associated Press, this development could signify a breakthrough in the issues that have been stirring up Republican political circles in the US for weeks.
Comer issued a statement on the 18th, stating that the Department of Justice will provide documents to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee starting from the 22nd. However, it will take time to organize the documents to ensure that information about minor victims is redacted.
Epstein, who was closely associated with numerous political and business figures in the US, died in prison in August 2019 after being arrested on sex crime charges and was ruled as a suicide. During his presidential campaign in 2024, President Trump promised to release documents related to the Epstein case after taking office. However, when the first batch of documents was released in late February, there was no new explosive information.
On July 7th, the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a memorandum stating that there was no credible evidence indicating that Epstein possessed a “client list” for blackmailing celebrities and no evidence indicating that Epstein’s death was a homicide. They also stated that they would not release more documents related to the Epstein case in the future. Nevertheless, many Republican supporters have been convinced that Epstein had a “client list” that recorded sex transactions involving many prominent figures in the Democratic Party, and have been calling for the authorities to release it.
On July 23rd, a subordinate agency of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee voted to issue a subpoena to the Department of Justice, requesting the release of all documents related to the Epstein case and its connection to his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. According to the Washington Post, this compelled Comer to formally issue a subpoena earlier this month and demanded a response from the Department of Justice by the 19th.
The subpoena also demanded all documents and communication information related to Epstein and Maxwell’s cases, as well as communication between the Democratic former President Biden’s administration and the Department of Justice regarding the Epstein case, and documents related to Epstein’s early involvement in Florida federal investigations that ended with no prosecution in 2007.
It is unclear how many documents and which ones will be provided by the Department of Justice, as well as whether any conditions are attached to their release.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has also issued subpoenas to eight former senior justice officials and Democratic former presidents Bill and Hillary Clinton, requesting their attendance at congressional testimony.
On the 18th, William Barr, former Attorney General of the United States, became the first senior official to provide testimony. He was closed-door questioned by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on that day. During Barr’s tenure at the Department of Justice, Epstein was convicted and passed away. Comer told the media during a break in questioning that Barr “answered every question” with “great transparency,” stating that he knew nothing about the “client list” and that there was never any evidence indicating Trump’s involvement in Epstein’s crimes during his time as Attorney General.