The Senate has unanimously approved a House backed measure requiring the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein case files. Majority leader John Thune said the chamber will formally transmit the bill on Wednesday, clearing the way for it to head to President Donald Trump, who has pledged to sign it despite previously opposing the disclosure.
The vote means the Senate will not need to take any additional action before the legislation reaches the president’s desk. Lawmakers in both parties have pushed for swift publication of the documents, which are expected to detail years of investigations into Epstein’s crimes and network.
At the White House, Trump defended Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he dismissed renewed questions about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a meeting with Saudi officials.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries addressed new reporting about a 2013 fundraising email sent to Jeffrey Epstein. Asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if he recognized the message, Jeffries said, “I have no recollection of the email.” The note, sent by Democratic consulting group Dynamic SRG, invited Epstein to attend a fundraising dinner with Jeffries and former President Barack Obama or to get to know Jeffries better. There is no indication Epstein replied. “I’ve never had a conversation with him, never met him, know nothing about him other than the extreme things that he’s been convicted of doing,” Jeffries said. Asked whether he ever received a donation from Epstein, Jeffries said, “Certainly not.”
In a separate development, the House rejected a Republican attempt to censure US Virgin Islands Democratic Delegate Stacey Plaskett over text exchanges with Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing. The resolution filed by GOP Rep. Ralph Norman sought to remove Plaskett from the House Intelligence Committee and accused her of coordinating with Epstein during a session involving former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. Lawmakers defeated the measure 209 to 214, with three Republicans joining Democrats in voting it down and three others voting present.
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