Tuesday, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Mike Johnson discussed House Republicans\u2019 efforts to deliver maximum transparency regarding the Epstein files and ensure justice for victims of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s crimes. Speaker Johnson also addressed what he called Democrats\u2019 newfound interest in the Epstein files, despite the information being in the government\u2019s possession throughout the Biden Administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe truth is, the biggest proponents of this discharge petition were never actually interested in transparency or ensuring justice or protecting victims of this unspeakable tragedy, the Epstein evils. And how do we know that? Because the Democrats had every one of the Epstein files in their possession for the four long years of the Biden Administration,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cThe Biden Department of Justice had the files the entire time, and not a single one of the people who were so loud and animated right now ever said anything about it for all those four years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor four long years under the previous administration of the Biden-Harris Administration, Democrats insisted there was no border crisis. Remember, they told you that that wasn\u2019t a problem at all. They dismissed inflation as transitory. That\u2019s what they told us. They told the American people not to believe what we could all see with our own eyes, that there was an obvious mental and physical decline on the part of President Biden individually,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cAnd now, seemingly overnight, these same cast of characters, they\u2019ve taken a sudden and urgent interest in the Epstein investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNone of them held press conferences. None of them demanded the release of the documents. And under Biden\u2019s DOJ, when they prosecuted just Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, not a single one of these Democrats or any of the proponents of the discharge ever made any noise about that at all,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, it\u2019s fair for the American people to ask the question, why now? Why suddenly are they so interested?\u201d Johnson said Republicans are \u201cworking in earnest to deliver transparency to the American people\u201d while ensuring that victims are not harmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was an unspeakable tragedy, and we have great compassion for the victims,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThey deserve justice. It has been too long delayed.\u201d Johnson highlighted the House Oversight Committee\u2019s ongoing bipartisan work, noting that it has already released more material than the discharge petition requests. \u201cSo far, by last count, it\u2019s over 65,000 documents, Epstein files documents, that are now out in the public for everyone to review,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThat includes tens of thousands of pages from the Epstein Estate. And that includes Epstein\u2019s flight logs, his personal financial records and ledgers, his daily calendars, and so much more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnson said the discharge petition lacks several protections, including victim privacy safeguards, citing court concerns and a victim letter urging the court to ensure that identifying details remain redacted. He also warned that releasing unverified or non-credible material could \u201cruin the reputations of completely innocent people\u201d whose names appear in the files but who had no involvement in Epstein\u2019s crimes. Johnson said the petition inadvertently cites the wrong section of federal law, which he argued could force the release of child sexual abuse materials by preventing adequate redactions. He also said the measure risks exposing whistleblowers, confidential informants, and undercover law enforcement officers whose identities were promised confidentiality. \u201cImagine the chilling effect that that would have on future investigations,\u201d Johnson said. Finally, Johnson said the petition raises national security concerns by compelling broad declassification within a set timeframe. \u201cThis ignores the principle that declassification should always rest and always has rested with the agency that originated the intelligence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n