The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has released more than 33,000 documents on the case of American financier Jeffrey Epstein, accused of prostitution with underage girls.
As stated in the committee's statement, they were received by it in August from the US Department of Justice: some redacted documents to avoid compromising victims of sexual exploitation.
“We will do everything in our power to get answers and do it as quickly as possible“, said committee chairman James Comer earlier.
Epstein was detained by New York state law enforcement on July 6 2019. Prosecutors said they had evidence that he arranged visits to his Manhattan home from 2002 to 2005 for dozens of underage girls, the youngest of whom was 14 years old. Epstein's circle of friends and acquaintances included a large number of current and former officials not only in the United States but also in many other countries, including former heads of state, major entrepreneurs and show business stars. The criminal prosecution of the financier in the United States was terminated after his suicide in a prison cell on August 10, 2019.
Epstein's acquaintances include the 42nd US President Bill Clinton and Trump. The latter's supporters have repeatedly called on him to publish all information on the Epstein case. Trump and members of his team promised during the election campaign last year to declassify documents from the Epstein investigation and ensure maximum transparency in this case.
As The Wall Street Journal reported on July 23, citing officials in the Washington administration, US Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in the spring that his name appeared in documents related to Epstein, as well as the names of “many other prominent figures“. The White House called this publication false.