In Washington, a Senate vote on Wednesday narrowly blocked Democrats’ attempt to require public release of case files related to the late Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation. The Senate rejected the amendment 51-49, with Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Rand Paul joining Democrats in support of disclosure.
Democrats have persistently pushed for transparency on the Epstein files, seeking to compel the Justice Department to release documents. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer questioned Republicans, saying, “after all those years you spent calling for accountability, for transparency, for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes, why won’t you vote yes?” The amendment was attached to the annual defense authorization bill, a must-pass measure.
Senate Republican leaders argued the amendment was inappropriate for defense legislation. Sen. Mike Rounds stated, “This is not the right way to do it,” while Senate Majority Leader John Thune noted the Justice Department “has already released tons of files” and expressed trust that further disclosures would protect victims’ rights.
The Epstein case, which resurfaced after his 2019 death in jail, involves allegations of sexual abuse and trafficking of underage girls. Some victims and Republican constituents remain dissatisfied with the information released so far.
In the House, Democrats are close to forcing a vote on similar legislation through a discharge petition, needing just one more signature to potentially compel a vote by month’s end.
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