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Transparency or tactic? DOJ probe could stall Epstein release
19 November 2025
Washington DC is back in action, and the Epstein files have been first cab off the rank for the congressional agenda. After swearing in Representative Adelita Grijalva, House Democrats received the 218th signature which was needed to force a vote on the floor of the House about releasing the Epstein files. In the lead up to this vote there has been a bevy of activity. House Democrats first released select emails, including one where convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein referred to Trump as “the dog that hasn’t barked” (a reference leading to contrary speculation from Republicans and Democrats). Then Republicans flooded the zone with the release of 20,000 pages of emails to and from Jeffrey Epstein and then President Trump announced that he supported Republicans to vote to release the files, a pivot from his previous stance to deny, deflect and distract. Today, the House overwhelmingly (427-1) voted to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which means the bipartisan bill will now go to the Senate. If approved there, it will go to President Trump, who has said he will sign the bill.
While this may look like the long-awaited transparency that MAGA Republicans called for before the 2024 election, there may be one factor that would allow President Trump to have his cake and eat it too — the new Department of Justice investigation into high profile people named in the Epstein files including Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and Larry Summers. Co-author of the bill to release the Epstein files, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, warned that this move could be a smokescreen because, “if they have ongoing investigations in certain areas, those documents can’t be released.” So President Trump and Republicans could say they want to release the files, potentially knowing the files would not be able to be made public due to the ongoing investigation.
The full files would be different to the trove of emails we have seen so far, which are a collection coming from Epstein’s estate. Files that were part of an FBI investigation would include grand jury transcripts, FBI reports and other documents from the criminal investigations.
If a DOJ investigation blocks the release of the files, expect to hear Democrats hammer messages about transparency over the Epstein files in the lead up to the 2026 midterms, because if they win the House, they can lead an impeachment inquiry. For Democrats in 2026, any moment they can keep Republicans from talking about America’s affordability crisis is a winning issue.
Mari Koeck
Director of Engagement and Impact
Lead photo: US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks during the press conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act with the Epstein abuse survivors at the US Capitol in Washington DC, on 18 November 2025 (photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu for Getty Images).
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