The House Oversight Committee released a Republican-led report Tuesday criticizing the Justice Department for its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation over multiple decades and administrations, calling for federal investigators to reinterview key witnesses and associates of the late sex offender. The 137-page report stated that too many survivors and witnesses were never approached or properly questioned by federal authorities and urged the DOJ to interview or reinterview individuals who were part of the inner circle of Epstein and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
Committee Chair James Comer said Epstein operated with impunity, shielded by powerful connections and a justice system that repeatedly failed his victims. The report called for the Justice Department to investigate Epstein associates accused of criminal activity and ensure survivors have access to their records. The Justice Department responded that the Attorney General has repeatedly said the Epstein case is not closed and that there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking, adding that the department will continue following all additional investigative leads.
The report also questioned whether the Justice Department has released all relevant documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated public disclosure of case-related records. The Republican report criticized the department for releasing names of some victims in documents while redacting the names of Epstein allies, and noted that survivors continue to ask the DOJ for access to their own personal files but have not been permitted to do so. The report called for legislation protecting the ability of individuals with knowledge of sexual abuse to speak freely regardless of nondisclosure agreements.
The top Democrat on the committee, Robert Garcia, said the Republican investigation was incomplete and that Democrats will hold public hearings when they take the majority in January. Garcia said the DOJ continues to illegally withhold over 2.5 million pages of documents. Democrats released their own report last month calling for an independent special counsel to investigate Epstein's ties to President Donald Trump, allegations the White House called untrue and politically motivated. The Republican report criticized Democrats for focusing on Trump, saying they were obsessed with the president and had engaged in an unfounded witch hunt.