WASHINGTON ― Senate Democrats on Wednesday declared the Justice Department legally obligated to hand over its files on deceased sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) pointed to a little-known statute that says any federal agency “shall submit any information requested of it” by five members of the Senate committee on government affairs.
Schumer noted Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s name reportedly is mentioned in the files. Trump and Epstein were friends for years before the financier was first arrested for solicitation of prostitution in 2006.
“Trump should stop hiding from the truth. He should stop hiding from the American people,” Schumer said at a press conference. “So today, Senate Democrats took action. We’re invoking federal law and using our authority as a check on the executive to compel transparency.”
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Schumer demanded “the full and complete Epstein files,” citing Trump’s 2024 campaign promises to release the documents alongside other material that’s been the subject of right-wing conspiracy theories.
Bondi said in February she had Epstein’s supposed “client list” on her desk, but this month the Justice Department said there was no client list and that it would release no further information about the alleged sex trafficker. The reversal prompted an uproar among Trump’s supporters, and even some Republicans in Congress have joined calls for the files to be released.
“After missteps and failed promises by your Department regarding these files it is essential that the Trump Administration provide full transparency,” Schumer wrote in his letter to Bondi.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 after being accused by federal prosecutors of sex trafficking minors. The federal government previously had declined to prosecute him after he was first arrested by Florida police in 2006 for similar crimes. His ties to rich and famous people, including Bill Clinton and other politicians, have fueled theories that he may have been murdered.
Trump said Tuesday he broke ties with Epstein after Epstein hired staff away from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Trump previously has called Epstein “fun” and said he enjoyed beautiful women, “many of them are on the younger side.” They also competed for real estate. It’s not clear when, exactly, they stopped being friends.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Senate Democrats’ demand for the files, but it’s unlikely the Trump administration will hand over the material, regardless of what the law says. The Justice Department also may soon face a subpoena from Republicans on the House Oversight Committee.
HuffPost asked Schumer what Democrats can do if the administration refuses to comply with their request.
“We have talked to some of our lawyers, and this can be challenged in the courts,” Schumer said.
During Trump’s first term, his administration refused to hand over Trump’s tax returns, despite a federal law clearly saying the IRS had to do so in response to a request from the House tax committee. Democrats sued and won in court, but the case took years.