JUST IN: Senate Dems Block Release Of All Available Epstein Documents

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) introduced on Thursday a resolution that mandate the release of all available court documents relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The resolution was immediately shot down by Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), however, who immediately attempted to put the blame on Republicans.

“As I said before, we want transparency. But the courts control the grand jury. The judges that oversee the courts control the grand jury. We, in this body, can have resolutions back and forth and suggest that they be done,” Mullin said on the Senate floor. “But truthfully, the judges have to do it. AG Bondi and the president have both already called upon the judges to release this information.”

The senator then explained that his resolution is essentially an affirmation of that view and is intended to entice federal judges in Florida and New York — who have control over the documents in question — to release them. He then asked for unanimous consent to pass the resolution.

Gallego then blocked the measure and accused Republicans of blocking the release, even though any resolution passed in the chamber would be non-binding. “Surprise surprise… Republicans just blocked my attempt to release the Epstein files. I even tried to work with them, and they wouldn’t budge,” Gallego, who had not mentioned the Epstein case once until this month, posted on X.

“This is a betrayal of the American people. I’ll keep the pressure on.”

President Donald Trump has instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all “credible” information relating to the Epstein case that has not already been made available to the public. To that end, Bondi filed for the release of grand jury documents from the Epstein cases in Florida and New York.

The Florida request was blocked by an Obama-appointed federal judge, however, who argued that the Justice Department did not meet the required threshold to release grand jury information, which is rarely done.

Requested records pertained to the grand juries convened in West Palm Beach in 2005 and 2007 that had investigated Epstein. The request was denied by U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg, who stated that the court’s “hands were tied” given existing precedent in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which only permits the release of grand jury materials under very narrow parameters.

She further denied a request to transfer the issue into the jurisdiction of the Southern District of New York, where two judges are already considering separate motions from the DOJ to unseal additional records relating to the case against Epstein and his longtime mistress and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022.

In addition to the upcoming congressional deposition, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that he had reached out to Maxwell’s legal team and intends to meet with her “in the coming days” to “hear what she has to say.” Maxwell’s attorney later confirmed that she had been in talks with the Justice Department.

Maxwell has also been subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee and is scheduled to sit for a deposition on August 11.