House Democrats Launch Investigation into DoJ's Handling of Epstein Files on Trump Abuse Claims
Democrats on the House oversight and government reform committee have announced the initiation of a formal investigation to determine whether the US Department of Justice deliberately withheld materials pertaining to allegations against former President Donald Trump in the release of the Epstein files. The lawmakers are focusing on reports that Trump was accused by a woman of sexually abusing her decades ago when she was a minor, with related documents allegedly missing from the public release.
Allegations of Illegal Withholding by the Justice Department
Congressman Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California and the ranking member of the oversight committee, stated that after reviewing unredacted evidence logs at the DoJ, it appears the department illegally withheld FBI interviews with the survivor who accused Trump of heinous crimes. Garcia emphasized that under the committee's subpoena and the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these records must be immediately shared with Congress and the public, warning that covering up evidence of a potential assault by a president constitutes a serious crime in what he described as a White House cover-up.
NPR Report Details Withheld Documents
The committee's announcement coincided with an investigative report by NPR, which claimed the DoJ withheld over 50 pages of FBI interviews and notes from conversations with the woman accusing Trump. The report also indicated that some documents mentioning Trump were removed from the public database where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein are stored. According to NPR, the accuser named Trump in a 2019 allegation, stating Epstein introduced her to him around 1983 when she was 13 and Trump was in his mid-30s, with an attempt at sexual contact reported.
White House Response and Denials
In response to the allegations, the White House did not address the specific claim but referred to a recent social media post denying any wrongdoing in handling the files. The statement asserted that no documents have been deleted, and any temporary removals for redactions are promptly restored online. It also accused Democrats on the oversight committee of misleading the public and manufacturing outrage from their anti-Trump base. Trump has previously denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein's activities, with the federal case disrupted after Epstein's death in jail in 2019.
The investigation highlights ongoing tensions over transparency and accountability in high-profile cases, with Democrats pushing for full disclosure of all Epstein-related materials to ensure justice and public trust.
