Republican senators are calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department to release all records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that mention President Trump’s name, warning that anything short of full transparency will only fuel further controversy.
The renewed push comes amid media reports that the Justice Department may not have released certain records tied to claims a woman made in 2019 against both Epstein and Trump regarding an alleged incident from the 1980s. The issue has placed Republicans on the defensive as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vows to use “every tactic” available to force the release of what he calls missing files.
GOP lawmakers, however, are urging the department to get ahead of the political firestorm by complying fully with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress overwhelmingly passed last year.
“Release the documents. Redact the names of the victims. Don’t release photographs, naked or otherwise, of minors. Release the documents. This is not going to go away until there is full disclosure,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Kennedy acknowledged that the Justice Department should exercise “discretion” and act in “good faith,” but he stressed that maximum transparency is the only way to restore public trust.
“The American people want to know, and they’re entitled to know, who if anyone, did Epstein traffic these women to … and why they weren’t prosecuted,” Kennedy said.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that withholding records mentioning Trump would appear to run counter to congressional intent behind the transparency law.
“I don’t know what the circumstances are and whether there’s legitimate reasons for redactions or withholding since he’s currently in office, but that would seem to be contrary with the intent of the law,” Collins said.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, echoed that view, arguing that the statute’s language is clear.
“I think when we pass a law that says that all documents need to be put out, it seems to me all documents need to be put out,” Grassley said, though he has not yet decided whether to hold a hearing on the department’s compliance.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said it would be “concerning” if the Justice Department selectively withheld files referencing Trump, unless they were subject to the same standards applied to others.
“If it’s in fact true, it’s concerning,” Tillis said, adding that he has seen the reporting but has not independently confirmed the claims.
The New York Times and other outlets reported that certain FBI memos summarizing interviews with a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Trump and Epstein in the 1980s were not included in the document release. The White House has repeatedly said Trump did nothing wrong regarding Epstein, and the Justice Department has previously described the woman’s allegations as lacking credibility.
An index released by the department indicated the FBI conducted four interviews related to the woman’s claims and prepared summaries, but those interview notes were not made public.
In response, the Justice Department told The Times that “the only materials that have been withheld were either privileged or duplicates,” later adding that some documents may be tied to “an ongoing federal investigation.” On Wednesday, the department said it is reviewing flagged files and pledged to publish any documents found to have been improperly withheld, consistent with the law.
Meanwhile, Schumer and fellow Democrats are escalating their pressure campaign, accusing the department of a “massive coverup” and pledging an “all-out oversight effort.” A group of Senate Democrats plans to travel to the Justice Department to review unredacted files, and Democrats have asked officials to preserve all records related to decisions on redactions and withholding.
As partisan tensions mount, Republican senators are making clear that transparency, not stonewalling, is the path forward. For many in the GOP, the issue is simple: if the law requires full disclosure, then full disclosure is exactly what the American people should receive.
