President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he signed legislation directing the Justice Department to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender.
“I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump wrote in a message on Truth Social.
He stated that he asked Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to move the legislation through both chambers.
Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?
According to Trump, “the votes were almost unanimous in favor of passage.”
Trump said the Justice Department had already given Congress nearly fifty thousand pages of documents.
He contrasted that with the prior administration, writing, “Do not forget — The Biden Administration did not turn over a SINGLE file or page related to Democrat Epstein, nor did they ever even speak about him.”
NEW Statement from President Trump: pic.twitter.com/c06X1ojqYK
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) November 20, 2025
This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year
Trump’s ties to Epstein drew renewed attention after the Justice Department and FBI announced in July that they would not unseal investigation materials and that the agencies had closed their investigation.
On Sunday, Trump said he supported releasing the documents and stated he had “nothing to hide.”
“As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat ‘Shutdown,'” Trump wrote.
The House approved the measure Tuesday by a 421–1 vote.
The bill’s primary sponsors included Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., was the only lawmaker to vote against the legislation.
Higgins said he opposed it because “this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people — witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.”
Speaker Mike Johnson voted for the legislation but noted concerns during a press conference earlier that day.
“Who’s going to want to come forward if they think Congress can take a political exercise and reveal their identities? Who’s going to come talk to prosecutors?” Johnson said.
He also warned about the possibility of publicly exposing undercover law enforcement officers.
After the House vote, the bill moved to the Senate, which passed it unanimously later Tuesday.
MORE NEWS: Epstein Records Set for Unsealing as Democrats Push Last-Minute Conspiracy Claims [WATCH]
The Epstein Files Transparency Act orders the Justice Department to release all unclassified records and investigative materials related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
It also directs the release of files referencing individuals in Epstein’s previous legal matters, materials tied to trafficking allegations, internal DOJ communications related to the case, and details linked to the investigation into Epstein’s death.
The law permits the DOJ to redact or withhold materials involving victims’ identities, child sex abuse evidence, classified information, or information that could compromise ongoing investigations.
Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Wednesday that she would enforce the law, which requires the DOJ to publish the files online in a searchable format within 30 days.
Early in the administration, some supporters had called for the release of Epstein-related materials, including the alleged “client list.”
In July, a joint DOJ–FBI memo said the agencies had no additional information to provide beyond what had already been made public about Epstein’s case and his death in 2019.
MORE NEWS: Colorado Dem Rep Crow Struggles When Confronted Over Telling Military to Ignore Trump [WATCH]
The memo prompted criticism from some supporters seeking more documents.
Trump has described aspects of the Epstein matter as a “Democrat hoax,” while publicly supporting the release of the files on Sunday.
Momentum increased after members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released three emails Wednesday that Epstein’s estate provided which mentioned Trump.
Republicans also released approximately 20,000 pages of Epstein-related documents that same day.
The materials contain emails between Epstein and Maxwell, and communications with author Michael Wolff and former Obama White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler, among others.
One 2011 email from Epstein to Maxwell reads, “i want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. (VICTIM) spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. police chief. etc. im 75 % there.”
Maxwell replied, “I have been thinking about that…”
In a separate 2019 email to Wolff, Epstein wrote that “of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop,” referring to Trump. Trump has said he barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because Epstein kept “taking people who worked for me.”
MORE NEWS: Zohran Mamdani Suggests He’ll Disobey U.S. Law: ‘New York is a City Of International Law’ [WATCH]
The files do not assert that Trump engaged in wrongdoing, and no law enforcement records link Trump to Epstein’s crimes.
Epstein allegedly died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Maxwell was later convicted on charges including sex trafficking of a minor and is serving a 20-year sentence.
The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of DrewBerquist.com. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.