“We Have Nothing To Hide”; US Lawmakers To Vote On Epstein Files After Trump Declares
The Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives is pressing ahead with a vote on Tuesday to force the release of long-sought investigative files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, escalating pressure on the Justice Department.
This also highlights a rare moment of defiance within the GOP against President Donald Trump before his sudden shift in position.
According to Reuters, House members had amassed enough signatures to trigger the vote last week, setting the stage for the chamber to compel the release of the documents.
The push, led by Republicans but supported by Democrats, gained fresh momentum after Trump unexpectedly abandoned his long-standing opposition late Sunday, clearing the way for near-certain passage.
For months, Trump and his team had worked to prevent any additional disclosures from the Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein, a wealthy New York financier once connected socially to the president.
But Trump reversed course as the House prepared to act, writing on social media: “House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide,” while dismissing the matter as a “hoax” driven by Democrats.
Representative Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican spearheading the effort, said the House will likely proceed under rules requiring a two-thirds majority.
He expressed confidence the chamber would meet that threshold, “perhaps even unanimously.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson also framed the vote as an opportunity to end speculation surrounding Trump’s past proximity to Epstein.
“He’s never had anything to hide,” Johnson said Monday. He added that both he and the president shared a concern that any release must ensure that “victims of these heinous crimes are completely protected from disclosure.”
The resolution authorising the release explicitly allows the Justice Department to withhold or redact identifying information of victims.
Democrats welcomed the vote as proof that Trump’s effort to quietly block the investigation had failed. California Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said the president only shifted because “he’s panicking and has realised he is about to lose this Epstein vote.”
The renewed spotlight follows the publication of emails released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee last Wednesday, which suggested Trump had been aware of Epstein’s activities, including the trafficking of underage girls. One email released by Democrats included a message in which Epstein purportedly stated that “of course (Trump) knew about the girls” procured for his trafficking network.
According to The Guardian, another email dated April 2011 showed Epstein writing to Ghislaine Maxwell and alleging that Trump had been in the company of one of the trafficked victims.
“I want you to realise that that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump… [victim name redacted] spent hours at my house with him, he has never once been mentioned,” Epstein wrote.
As the House moves toward the vote, lawmakers on both sides say the latest revelations further underscore the need for transparency.
The decision on Tuesday is expected to bring the contents of the so-called Epstein Files — long shrouded in secrecy — closer than ever to public release.
