Congress approved a bipartisan bill telling the U.S. Justice Department to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sexual abuse and died in jail. The document now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature, the BBC reported.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 427-1. The Senate approved it a few hours later with unanimous consent.
The vote came after Trump changed his stance. He first opposed releasing the files. Later, he asked lawmakers to move the bill forward after some of his supporters called for it. From a legal point of view, the new law wasn’t strictly needed. The president could have ordered the release himself.
Interestingly, among lawmakers actively pushing for the release of the so-called Epstein files were two Republicans: Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who spoke in favor of disclosure, emphasizing victims’ rights and supporting access to federal investigative records.
Once the bill is signed by the president, Attorney General Pam Bondi will be obliged to release all unclassified documents related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment, while withholding sensitive information tied to victims or ongoing investigations.
Survivors and their advocates, including relatives of the late Virginia Giuffre, supported the decision. They described it as a step toward clarifying how Epstein was able to act for many years and long-awaited justice for the victims of Epstein’s criminal circle.
