As Trump Justice Department Continues To Illegally Hide Full Epstein Files, Leader Schumer Forces Moment Of Truth For Senate Republicans: Allow The Senate To Sue For Full[...]

Washington, D.C. - Today, Leader Schumer will go to the Senate floor to ask for unanimous consent on legislation that would allow the Senate to sue the Justice Department for their failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act:

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will go to the Senate floor and force a defining test for Senate Republicans: whether they will enforce a federal law they passed unanimously - or help the Trump Justice Department continue to illegally hide the full Epstein files. Leader Schumer will ask for unanimous consent to pass his legislation that would direct the Senate as a body to file suit against the Justice Department for failing to comply with the requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act and force a release of the files.

The Justice Department was required, by law, to release the entire, unedited Epstein files by December 19^th. The administration missed this initial deadline and now, months later, they are still refusing to release the full files. The Epstein Files Transparency Act - which passed unanimously in the Senate - has no ambiguity in the statute, no discretion granted to the administration, and no legitimate justification for continued defiance. The law is clear - and the Justice Department is ignoring it.

"Congress spoke with one voice when it passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The deadline is long past, and the Trump Justice Department is still breaking the law," said Leader Schumer. "Senate Democrats are exhausting every possible avenue to force the administration to do what it is already legally required to do: release the complete files and deliver transparency and justice to Epstein's victims. If the administration will not follow the law, the Senate must act. No one - not even a president - is above the law. The question before Senate Republicans today is simple: Will they enforce the law - or object and help keep the Epstein files hidden?"

Schumer has been calling for the release of the Epstein files since 2019. After Epstein's sweetheart plea deal, Senator Schumer called for the Office of Professional Responsibility to stop stonewalling and make the documentation public, adding he wanted the Senate to have hearings on the matter. More recently, in July, Leader Schumer, Senator Peters and Democratic committee colleagues pushed the DOJ to turn over the Epstein files by citing their authority under a little known statute, the Rule of Five. This law requires executive agencies to submit requested information to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that falls within the Committee's oversight jurisdiction of the federal government. That letter was followed up with another in August which once again demanded for the DOJ to turn over the files. The Trump Administration refused to comply with both of these requests. And in September, Senator Schumer offered an amendment to the NDAA that would have directed AG Bondi to release all unclassified documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. 51 Republican Senators voted against it.

The text of the resolution can be seen here.

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