A decision launched by Home Democrats to drive a vote on releasing recordsdata associated to intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein failed on July 15. It was the newest transfer by Democrats to take action in latest days.
In a 211–210 vote break up totally alongside celebration strains, the decision to launch the recordsdata was voted down within the Home.
Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas), who launched the nonbinding decision, mentioned on the Home ground that the recordsdata needs to be launched as a result of “predators” comparable to Epstein, who died in August 2019, in addition to collaborators, ought to “face consequences.”
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), rating member of the Home Guidelines Committee, tried a committee vote on releasing the recordsdata on July 14. The hassle failed, with Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) being the one Republican on the panel to vote in favor.
On Tuesday, Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) informed podcaster Benny Johnson in a video interview that he helps releasing the recordsdata however opposed Democrats’ procedural movement.
“I’m for transparency,” Johnson informed Benny Johnson. “It’s a very delicate subject but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it.”
Democrats’ bids to drive a vote this week look like makes an attempt to capitalize on the controversy surrounding the recordsdata.
Earlier this month the Division of Justice (DOJ) concluded that Epstein didn’t have a “client list.” The DOJ mentioned that it believes Epstein killed himself in August 2019, opposite to claims made by his brother and others.
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’” Trump mentioned in a July 12 put up on his social media platform, Fact Social. “They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening.”
He added that “we have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.”
Earlier than the 2019 federal indictment, Epstein had pled responsible in a Florida state court docket in 2008 to prices of soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution. He in the end served 13 months in jail following his 2008 responsible plea.
At a July 8 Cupboard assembly, a reporter requested Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi to handle a declare that Epstein had been an intelligence group asset.
“I have no knowledge about that,” she mentioned. “We can get back to you on that.”
Throughout that Cupboard assembly, Bondi additionally mentioned a lacking minute from a jail surveillance tape on the night time Epstein died in his cell was a traditional circumstance as a consequence of a technical glitch within the digicam system.
Trump instructed within the put up that nothing within the Epstein recordsdata “could have hurt the MAGA Movement“ and added that people need to allow Bondi to ”do her job.”
The Epoch Instances contacted the Home GOP for touch upon Tuesday.
Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.
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