US House to Vote on Epstein Files Release Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Tuesday on legislation that would compel the Justice Department to release thousands of pages of investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier convicted of sex crimes involving minors who died in federal custody in 2019. The measure, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, gained momentum after President Donald Trump reversed his earlier opposition and urged Republicans to support it, signaling broad bipartisan backing for greater transparency in the long-running case.

The bill would require the Justice Department, including the FBI and U.S. Attorneys' Offices, to publicly disclose unclassified records, documents, communications, and materials connected to Epstein's cases and those of his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking minors. Provisions allow redactions to protect victims' identities and sensitive content, such as depictions of child abuse or information that could harm ongoing probes, but prohibit withholding details due to embarrassment or political concerns. Some sealed grand jury materials would still require court approval for release.