House Panel Demands Independent Epstein Probe

House Judiciary Committee Democrats released a report on Monday demanding the Department of Justice appoint an independent special counsel to investigate President Donald Trump’s alleged criminal ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The panel concluded that the evidence justifies a formal criminal inquiry.

The report states, "There is more than sufficient evidence to launch a criminal investigation." The Democrats noted that the Justice Department under President Trump would be unlikely to select such a counsel. They compared the proposed role to Robert Mueller, who led the Russia investigation, and Jack Smith, who investigated Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and claims he cut ties before public allegations surfaced. Lauren Bis, a White House spokeswoman, called the report a distraction from Republican momentum. "None of these allegations are true," Bis said. "The President kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club at Mar-a-Lago because he was a creep."

The release of the report occurs ahead of the midterm elections. Democrats hope to win control of Congress as Trump’s approval ratings decline over economic and foreign policy issues. A Democratic majority would allow lawmakers to issue subpoenas without Republican support, a power they currently lack as the minority party.

A bipartisan law passed in November required the release of millions of documents related to Epstein’s case. Epstein died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The files mention Trump thousands of times. Only Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s accomplice, has been convicted in the United States.

The Democratic report accuses the Justice Department of obstructing investigations into potential co-conspirators. It argues that Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former personal attorney for Trump, is compromised. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the panel’s top Democrat, stated that survivors deserve to be heard and that Congress must receive the complete files required by law.

A Justice Department spokesperson dismissed the report as a "last-ditch effort" to mislead the public. The department stated it complied with the congressional act by releasing nearly 3 million investigatory documents. The spokesperson noted that the department offered members of Congress the chance to view the files unredacted and that the administration brought federal charges against Epstein.

Trump was friends with Epstein before public allegations emerged. In a 2002 interview with New York magazine, Trump described Epstein as a "terrific guy" and noted they shared a liking for beautiful women. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to felony solicitation of prostitution and procuring minors. He was sentenced to 18 months and served about a year.

Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking conspiracy charges. At the time, Trump said he was "not a fan" and had a falling-out with Epstein long before the arrest. The staff report draws on witness interviews and Justice Department files related to the decades-long FBI investigation.