A House Oversight subcommittee voted 8–2 to subpoena the Department of Justice for un‑redacted Jeffrey Epstein files, with three GOP members joining Democrats, according to a report published by Time.
The subpoena, reports suggest, covers prosecutorial decisions, Epstein’s death documents, and executive communications including mentions of President Donald Trump.
Rep. James Comer (R‑Ky.), committee chair, recently said, “Republicans wanted to be more aggressive… we did that, and I think that’s what the American people want,” as reported by WTOP News. Now, as the House looks into the Epstein investigation, here’s what could happen next:
Ghislaine Maxwell Deposition Planned for August
Maxwell, now serving a 20‑year sentence, is subpoenaed for a deposition on August 11 at the federal prison in Florida.
Rep. Comer said, “If there are no terms, we’ll roll in there quick,” ABC7 Chicago reported.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D‑Calif.) warned, “We should understand… this is a very complex witness… not a good person to a lot of people.”
Broader Subpoena Plans
Reports suggest the committee is also planning to subpoena high-profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and past attorneys general from both parties.
DOJ Response and Legal Impasse
Attorney General Pam Bondi, reports suggest, may veto or negotiate the scope, as the DOJ often does with subpoenas.
Legal expert Joshua Levy, while speaking with WTOP News, explained that subpoena outcomes “depend on whether the administration wants to work through the traditional accommodation process… or… becomes entrenched.”
If DOJ doesn’t comply, Congress could vote to hold Bondi in contempt, though intra-party stigma complicates that path.
Rising Political Pressure
The subpoena motion comes just before Congress recessed, pushing the issue into town‑hall season, per the AP.
According to The Washington Post, prediction markets now give over 60% odds that he files will be released, driven by public trading after reports of Trump’s name appeared multiple times in documents.
“We can’t allow individual to protect child sex traffickers,” Democrat Rep. Summer Lee (D‑Pa.) said, according to Time.
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