The scandal surrounding the documents of the late Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in custody after being arrested on charges of sex crimes, has reignited inter-partisan controversy in the United States, writes the "Washington Post". The scandal surrounding accusations of sex crimes against a financier, once considered an unpleasant footnote in the history of American elites and a problem of criminal justice, is now at the center of a fierce political battle in the US Congress. At its core is the question of whether to release all documents related to Epstein held by the Justice Department and what that would mean for the accountability, power and political survival of some significant political figures, the publication points out.
Earlier this year, a bipartisan initiative led by Democrat Ro Hanna and Republican Thomas Massie introduced an Epstein Files Transparency Act in the legislature, which, if passed, would force the Justice Department to declassify and publish all documentation related to Epstein, the American metropolitan publication points out. Their initiative has taken on symbolic significance after a group of Epstein victims testified at a congressional hearing and demanded public access to the documents.
Democrats insist they want to uncover the truth so that justice can prevail and vulnerable people can be protected, the Washington Post notes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a statement at a press conference, accused Republicans of "protecting the lifestyles of the rich and shameless," adding that the refusal to release the documents sends a disturbing message about whose lives matter.
For the victims, the symbolism is significant - these documents could finally shed light on the networks of influential people who enabled Epstein to operate, the newspaper commented. Many of them believe that for there to be true justice, the public must see the whole picture.
Despite the bipartisan initiative, many Republicans - especially in the Senate - are strongly opposed to releasing the documents, the Associated Press reports. By a narrow margin of 51 to 49 votes, Senate Republicans recently rejected a proposal to publicly disclose Epstein's files, which was inserted as part of a defense spending bill.
They argue that the demands for transparency are a political maneuver, not a sincere effort to help victims. They also point to the potential harm of publicly disclosing confidential witness statements and court documents.
However, some Republicans disagree with their colleagues, Fox News reports. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he believed in transparency, although he warned that releasing the documents without proper precautions could compromise the privacy of victims. In an interview with "Fox News", he defended his party's cautious approach, warning that the Democrats' initiative mixed political ambitions with the real problem, but still indicated that he believed a vote to release the Justice Department's documents on the Epstein case would help end allegations that Trump had any connection to the abuser.
However, more conservative Republican factions and people supporting President Trump's MAGA movement seem to be losing patience, the American magazine "Wired" commented. According to the publication's analysis, the main supporters of the Republicans feel cheated by Trump and other leaders who promised to expose the network of elites around Epstein.
To move the Epstein transparency law to a vote, its sponsors filed a petition for exemption - a rarely used procedure requiring the collection of 218 signatures in the House of Representatives, writes the "Guardian". This month, the necessary signatures were collected, thus increasing the pressure on the leadership of the House.
The signature threshold was partly achieved by Adelita Grijalva, a newly sworn-in Democrat, who signed the 218th signature immediately after the swearing-in ceremony, setting in motion the procedural steps that could lead to a vote on the transparency bill in the House, the Guardian reports.
For Democrats, the success in collecting signatures represents a potential turning point - if the bill passes, it would bring transparency to a case involving sexual exploitation, power and elite secrets, the newspaper notes. For Republicans, the stakes are no less - some of them believe that releasing the files could reveal embarrassing connections of high-ranking politicians – or at least to cast doubt on the political elite's role as guardians of "law and order".
Amid these high stakes, political opponents are exchanging increasingly sharp accusations, writes the "Boston Globe" . Democrats accuse Republicans of protecting wealthy elites and covering up their own donors. Some of them have even directly accused House Speaker Johnson of deliberately delaying the vote to avoid transparency.
Republican Party representatives respond that the sudden pressure from Democrats is opportunistic – related to other legislative battles, including the government shutdown, the "Guardian" points out. Johnson and other Republicans say the demand for the Epstein files is being used to distract from policy failures.
Some Republicans also see Democrats as hypocritical, Fox News reported. They say Democrats had years to demand transparency while in power, but failed to do so, and their current actions are aimed solely at political gain.
Trump himself today surprisingly urged his fellow congressmen to vote to release the files, Reuters notes.
"House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files because we have nothing to hide," Trump wrote in a post on "Truth Social". "And it's time to end this Democratic hoax perpetrated by radical left-wing lunatics to distract from the Republican Party's great success," he added.
Beyond the political scandals, this case raises broader questions about US institutions, the "Washington Post" believes. If the Epstein documents are released, what precedent will this set? Will the Justice Department be more open in the future, or will the political fallout hinder future transparency efforts?
Polls suggest that public trust may already be eroding, the newspaper commented. A significant portion of Americans – including Republicans – believe the government is hiding details about Epstein's accomplices and his death.
The renewed battle to shed light on the circumstances surrounding Epstein's connections is more than just a repeat of the scandal, notes the "Washington Post". First, it is a test of whether Congress can hold those in power accountable, even when that power is deeply intertwined with wealth and privilege. For Democrats, the fight is about justice for victims and institutional accountability. For Republicans, it is an attempt to balance the demands of their most ardent supporters with the risks of revealing the truth.
Ultimately, the outcome of this battle could change the way Americans perceive power and transparency and determine whether they believe the judicial system is capable of standing up to the most influential political players, concludes the American metropolitan publication.