‎House Republicans Release 23,000 Jeffrey Epstein Files After Democrats Publish Trump-Linked Emails

‎House Republicans have released 23,000 pages of documents from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, just hours after Democrats made public several emails in which the disgraced financier referenced former President Donald Trump. The files were published online following a subpoena issued in August by Representative James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

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‎Jeffrey Epstein with his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell in 2005.

‎Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan, via Getty Images

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‎The new disclosures arrived shortly after Democrats unveiled emails suggesting Epstein claimed Trump “spent hours” at his home with one of his victims and may have known more about the abuse than previously acknowledged. The revelations have reignited debate on Capitol Hill over the government’s handling of Epstein’s case and the Trump administration’s past commitments to full transparency.

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‎House Republicans face a politically sensitive balancing act — defending Trump while addressing demands from their base to release all Epstein-related materials. GOP officials said the release demonstrates their commitment to openness, while Democrats accused them of using document volume to obscure the significance of the new emails.

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‎The Democratic release included three email exchanges involving Epstein, spanning 2011 to 2019. In one, Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump was “the dog that hasn’t barked,” referencing an unnamed victim who spent time with the former president. Another message from 2019 alleged that Trump “knew about the girls” and had asked Maxwell “to stop.” Democrats argue these emails raise fresh questions about Trump’s knowledge of Epstein’s activities.

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‎The White House swiftly rejected those assertions. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Democrats had “selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative.” She reiterated Trump’s statement that he expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago decades ago “for being a creep” toward female staff, including Virginia Giuffre, who later accused Epstein and Maxwell of exploitation.

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‎Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, previously testified that she never saw Trump engage in or witness abuse at Epstein’s home. Republicans highlighted her statements as evidence that Democrats were distorting the record. Committee aides also accused Democrats of “cherry-picking documents” and withholding materials that mention Democratic officials.

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‎The documents include communications with public figures such as author Michael Wolff, who advised Epstein to use Trump as a “counter narrative” to shift attention from the financier’s scandal. Other exchanges referenced business proposals and media strategies during Trump’s rise in politics.

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‎Epstein’s relationship with Trump dates back to the 1990s, when both men frequented Palm Beach’s social circles. Their association reportedly ended around 2004 after a property dispute. Trump has since described Epstein as “borderline insane” and denied any role in his criminal activities.

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‎Democrats argue that the new material warrants further investigation into the nature of their interactions. Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said the correspondence “raises glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding.” The Justice Department has so far provided limited new information despite bipartisan calls for more comprehensive disclosure.

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‎The timing of the releases coincides with the expected swearing-in of Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, whose signature will complete a petition to force a House vote demanding the release of all government-held Epstein records. The White House remains opposed to the measure, calling it politically motivated.

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‎The Oversight Committee’s publication marks the largest release yet from Epstein’s estate, though the documents were redacted to protect victims’ identities. Analysts continue to review the thousands of pages for additional revelations about Epstein’s financial dealings, his network of associates, and potential links to public officials.