The US House of Representatives has voted 427-1 to mandate the Justice Department to release files related to its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019. 
The legislation will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Debate ahead of the vote turned contentious, with lawmakers from both parties accusing each other of delaying public access to the documents. 
Speaker Mike Johnson backed the measure but criticised Democrats for the timing of the push, calling it &ldquo;a show vote.&rdquo; 
He added, &ldquo;They&rsquo;re making a show of it,&rdquo; while also defending US President Donald Trump, saying, &ldquo;The president had nothing to do with this, and he had nothing to hide.&rdquo;
Representative Thomas Massie, one of the bill&rsquo;s Republican sponsors, urged Trump to direct the Justice Department to release the documents immediately instead of waiting for the legislative process to conclude. 
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed concern that even with new legislation, some materials could remain withheld if the department keeps them &ldquo;tied up in the investigation.&rdquo;
During a meeting at the White House with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump again rejected any connection to Epstein. 
&ldquo;I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,&rdquo; he said. 
&ldquo;I threw him out of my club several years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He added, &ldquo;I never went to his island.&rdquo;
After months of opposing the full release of the files alongside the government, Trump shifted his stance on Sunday, stating that House Republicans could vote in favour of opening the documents. 
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a Democrats&rsquo; problem. Democrats were Epstein&rsquo;s friends, all of them,&rdquo; he asserted.
Meanwhile, former US Treasury Secretary and Harvard president Larry Summers said he would step back from public commitments after emails showed he continued to maintain friendly ties with Epstein long after the financier pleaded guilty in 2008. 
In a statement, Summers said he felt &ldquo;deeply ashamed&rdquo; and accepted &ldquo;full responsibility&rdquo; for what he described as a &ldquo;misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.&rdquo;
Last week, the House Oversight Committee released thousands of pages of emails from the Epstein estate. 
Democrats highlighted three messages, including a 2011 email in which Epstein wrote to Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump &ldquo;spent hours&rdquo; with one of the victims. 
Republicans, accusing Democrats of selective disclosure, responded by releasing more than 23,000 additional pages.
The White House dismissed the significance of the documents, stating they &ldquo;prove literally nothing.&rdquo; 
Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in Epstein&rsquo;s actions.
&mdash;IANS

Trump backs full release of Epstein files in sharp reversal

House passes 427-1 vote demanding Justice Department release long-withheld Epstein records

US House Orders Release Of Epstein Files

House passes 427-1 vote demanding Justice Department release long-withheld Epstein records

November 19, 2025 | 11:27 IST