The US House of Representatives is preparing to vote on whether to force the release of remaining government files tied to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, in a showdown that will test both the Justice Department’s promises of transparency and President Donald Trump’s sudden reversal on the issue.

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, speaking at the Capitol alongside women who say they survived Epstein’s abuse, framed the vote as only the first hurdle.

"The real test will be, will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all remain tied up in investigations? Will the CIA release the files? Will a federal judge in New York release the information that needs to come out, and will the list of names that these women privately hold ... come out?"

Greene also predicted that support in the chamber would be overwhelming, saying the House’s vote is likely to be unanimous.

The legislation, often referred to by supporters as an Epstein transparency bill, follows months of political pressure. Survivors and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have repeatedly demanded full disclosure of any remaining records held by the Justice Department, FBI, and intelligence agencies, arguing that the public still does not know the full extent of Epstein’s network or who may have enabled his crimes.

Fractured Alliance

In the days leading up to the vote, the political stakes grew sharper. Trump, who had previously resisted efforts to compel further disclosures, has now urged Republicans to support the full release of the files, insisting his party "has nothing to hide" and pledging to sign a bill requiring the Justice Department to publish all existing documents if it reaches his desk. The shift came as Trump publicly broke with Greene, once one of his most ardent defenders, after she criticized his attempts to delay earlier disclosures. Their falling-out spilled across conservative media, with Trump accusing Greene of “COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” and Greene responding that she was determined to support the victims “even when almost all other Republicans turned their back.”

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Greene has since said she received warnings from private security firms about threats to her safety, claiming that “a hot bed of threats against me” has been fueled by rhetoric coming from Trump Himself. She drew a parallel between her situation and the pressure faced by women abused by Epstein, writing, “As a woman I take threats from men seriously. I now have a small understanding of the fear and pressure the women, who are victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his cabal, must feel.”

Foreign Pressure

Her criticism of Trump has widened beyond the files themselves. Greene has openly questioned whether foreign governments, “in particular” "Israel", may be pressuring the administration to keep the documents sealed, a reference to Epstein’s documented ties to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak  and speculation about his links to Israeli intelligence. The remark signaled a deeper ideological break with GOP leadership, which has long maintained near-uniform support for "Israel."

Other Republicans have added fuel to the controversy. Rep. Thomas Massie said the undisclosed files contain the names of at least 20 high-profile individuals, including politicians, billionaires, and Hollywood figures, who have not yet been investigated. He warned that some of the men appearing in Epstein’s records were also major financiers of Trump’s election campaigns, saying he does not believe the names will be made public unless Trump commits to investigating them.

Disclosure Dilemma

That broader pressure reflects widespread skepticism after a July 2025 Justice Department and FBI review concluded there was no evidence that Epstein maintained a “client list,” blackmailed elites, or was murdered, and reaffirmed that he died by suicide in jail. The memo said no further major disclosures were planned, partly to protect victims’ privacy. The findings triggered backlash from Trump supporters and Democrats alike, who accused federal agencies of shielding powerful figures.

At the same time, legal experts warn that a new Justice Department investigation ordered by Trump into alleged political opponents’ ties to Epstein could itself become grounds to delay any release, since documents tied to active probes are often exempt from disclosure. The contradiction, urging transparency while opening a new investigative pathway that could shield files, has become a central concern for transparency advocates.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has publicly backed making the Epstein files public, arguing that full release would counter attempts to weaponize the case against Trump and prove there is “nothing to hide.” Democrats involved in the effort insist the documents must be released regardless of whose names appear in them, warning that continued secrecy only deepens public distrust.

Sealed Secrets

Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy, accused of abusing dozens of girls, some as young as 14, and using them to recruit other victims. He was denied bail and died in a Manhattan jail cell later that year, officially ruled a suicide. The combination of his political and social connections, the lenient plea deal he secured in Florida in 2008, and the number of victims has turned his case into a lasting test of how far US authorities are willing to go when alleged abusers move in elite circles.

For survivors and advocates standing with Greene, the question now is whether this latest congressional push will finally break that pattern, or whether, despite a likely strong vote in the House, the most sensitive files will remain locked away in court archives and agency vaults.

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