House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said Monday the Justice Department will begin to provide documents related to Jeffrey Epstein to the committee on Friday, marking the first production of records under subpoena in the Epstein investigation.
Comer announced the committee’s progress with Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday afternoon, saying the committee was informed the DOJ would start handing over Epstein-related records by week’s end. He added that the process will take time, given the volume of documents and the need to redact sensitive victim information and child sexual abuse material.
“Officials with the Department of Justice have informed us that the Department will begin to provide Epstein-related records to the Oversight Committee this week on Friday,” Comer said. “There are many records in DOJ’s custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted. I appreciate the Trump administration’s commitment to transparency and efforts to provide the American people with information about this matter.”
The committee had originally set a Tuesday deadline for the DOJ to comply with its records subpoena, but Comer’s statement suggests the committee is willing to extend it to Friday in recognition of the DOJ’s cooperation. He added that discussions with DOJ officials have been constructive and described the process as a “good faith effort.”
It is not immediately clear whether the tranche of files slated to be sent to the committee will include the full batch of information Comer is seeking. A spokesperson for the committee did not immediately respond when asked whether the information or portions of it would be made available to the public.
House investigators are seeking documents related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, including records from their prosecutions, Epstein’s 2007 non-prosecution agreement in Florida, and files relating to his 2019 death in federal custody.
The dispute over records comes after a July 4 weekend release from the DOJ sparked fresh outrage. At the time, the DOJ published a two-page memo and partial footage from Epstein’s prison quarters, reaffirmed that he had died by suicide, and declared it had finished releasing Epstein-related material. The memo drew backlash across the political spectrum and renewed calls for transparency. DOJ officials had previously said they needed time to redact sensitive details to protect witnesses, leading some critics to accuse the department of stonewalling.
Meanwhile, Trump administration officials have pressed courts to unseal grand jury records tied to Epstein’s 2007 plea deal in Florida and Maxwell’s federal case. Two out of three attempts have been rejected by judges, including a ruling in the Maxwell matter in which the judge cast doubt that the sealed files contained anything revelatory.
The announcement of DOJ’s cooperation followed former Attorney General William Barr’s deposition with the committee, where he reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide and testified that he never saw evidence implicating President Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, Comer issued subpoenas to a roster of high-profile figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Attorneys General Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch, Merrick Garland, Jeff Sessions, Alberto Gonzales, and Barr, along with former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. The Clintons are scheduled to sit for depositions in October, though it is unclear if either or both will appear.
Also on Monday, Comer signaled an openness to expanding the list of names for subpoenas after a pair of Democrats voiced frustrations about a need to interview Alex Acosta, who served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and approved a contentious 2008 plea deal that allowed him to avoid federal prosecutions in a prostitution case, which involved two individuals including a minor at the time. Epstein served a 13-month county jail sentence after his charges were downgraded to two state-level offenses.
The committee is next scheduled to interview former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Aug. 26. Gonzales served as the head of the DOJ from February 2005 to August 2007, which overlapped with the years that Acosta was in office.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT EYES EXPANDING SUBPOENA LIST IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION
Renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s case continues to drive bipartisan interest on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are pressing for answers about his ties to powerful figures and the government’s handling of his detention. The DOJ has previously said its exhaustive review found no “client list,” no evidence of blackmail, and confirmed Epstein’s death was a suicide.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the DOJ for comment.
