Democrats Promise Epstein Investigations After Midterm Win

Democratic leaders plan to launch a fresh wave of investigations into the Jeffrey Epstein case if they secure control of either chamber of Congress in the November 3 election. The strategy aims to extract documents and testimony that the current administration has kept out of public view.

Campaign spending has already shifted toward this issue. The Washington Post reported that Democrats have spent $53 million on ads referencing Epstein in competitive races. Republicans have spent $3 million on the same topic. This stands in contrast to the 2024 presidential campaign, where Epstein appeared in only three ads, all in Florida.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, a member of the House Oversight Committee, told Bloomberg News that learning more about Epstein would be a top priority. Two bills are already in Congress to facilitate this work. One bill, co-sponsored by Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, would allow state attorneys general and survivors to sue the Justice Department for unredacted files. A second bill, the Epstein Wall Street Records Act, would force regulators to disclose supervisory records and investigate banks connected to Epstein. Democrats have accused three major financial institutions of failing to follow anti-money laundering rules regarding Epstein's accounts.

Critics argue the focus is misplaced. Former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori suggests Democrats should examine possible corruption involving the Trump administration and the president's family over the past two years. In a Boston Globe op-ed, Khardori called the release of Epstein documents without context a historic mistake. He noted that the claim of a hidden child sex trafficking ring has not been substantiated despite nearly a year of the Epstein Files Transparency Act and more than 19 oversight committee interviews.

Gathering new evidence remains difficult. Epstein is deceased, and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a lengthy prison sentence. Three women who said they were abused have also died. Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican leading the Oversight Committee, sent two referrals to the Justice Department this year based on testimony from former Epstein assistant Sarah Kellen. Kellen accused two men of sexual assault but stated that Epstein and Maxwell did not help facilitate the encounters.

Garcia suggested that bringing back witnesses under oath could yield more results. CBC News reviewed public committee transcripts and found the sessions often repetitive. Witnesses were asked about a painting of Bill Clinton in a blue dress found in Epstein's New York townhouse. They were also asked whether they had evidence that Epstein worked for Mossad or another foreign intelligence service. After her interview, Hillary Clinton called the panel's approach a fishing expedition.

On Monday, Democrats on the judiciary committee released a report compiling every damaging mention of Donald Trump in the released Epstein files. The report includes allegations of sexual abuse and rape. One accuser now alleges she was raped in 1993, an update to a claim of groping that surfaced during the 2024 campaign. A civil suit tied to allegations involving a young teen was dropped twice by the anonymous plaintiff's lawyers more than a decade ago. Trump has never been formally accused of a crime related to his friendship with Epstein.

The report urged the appointment of a special counsel, a step only the attorney general can take. With the midterm election approaching, Democrats could soon hold more levers to pursue information they believe is available.