US Congress approves release of Epstein files

The Republican-controlled US Congress voted almost unanimously on Tuesday to force the release of justice department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an outcome President Donald Trump had fought for months before ending his opposition.

- Reuters

Epstein abuse survivors and lawmakers attend a bipartisan vigil in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. AFP

(AFP)

Two days after Trump's abrupt about-face, the House of Representatives passed the measure with a vote of 427-1, sending a resolution requiring the release of all unclassified records on Epstein to the Republican-majority Senate, which swiftly approved it. The bill could now go to Trump for his signature as soon as Wednesday.

Trump plans to sign the bill when it reaches his desk, a senior White House official said.

The Epstein scandal has been a political thorn in Trump's side for months, partly because he amplified conspiracy theories about Epstein to his own supporters. Many Trump voters believe his administration has covered up Epstein’s ties to powerful figures and obscured details surrounding his death, which was ruled a suicide, in a Manhattan jail in 2019.