‘All his friends were Democrats’ – Firstpost

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would sign a bipartisan bill that would require the Justice Department to release case files from the investigation of the deceased Jeffrey Epstein if the House and Senate pass it and send it to his desk.

Asked about the bill, formally known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, during an Oval Office event with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Trump told reporters, “I want to sign.”

Trump defended himself against his long-running relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Citing Larry Summers and Bill Clinton as examples, he said, “We have nothing to do with Epstein. The Democrats do. All his friends were Democrats.”

The proposal would force the Justice Department to make public every record and exchange involving Epstein, as well as any materials related to the investigation of his death in federal custody.

Comparing the debate over the release of FBI files related to Epstein to historic public demands for long-classified records, Trump referenced the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. He said the DOJ has already made “50,000 pages” available and described the ongoing criticism as the “Russia, Russia, Russia hoax” as it relates to Republicans.

Amidst political maneuvering, the House voting is nearing.

The House vote on the bill, sponsored by Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California, is expected to take place Tuesday after 218 members forced Speaker Mike Johnson to schedule a vote using a rarely planned discharge petition. It includes all 214 House Democrats and four Republicans: Massey, Nancy Mace, Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Johnson previously kept the House out of session for more than six weeks to delay the swearing-in of Arizona Representative Adelita Grijalva, who became the final signature needed for the petition. Voting was scheduled after his swearing in and signature.

The bill still must pass the Senate to reach Trump’s desk. Majority Whip John Barrasso indicated Sunday that the legislation may face opposition from some Republicans, although Trump has urged support.

Trump and advisers, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, reportedly attempted to persuade Boebert, Greene and Mace to withdraw their signatures before Grijalva was sworn in. After the apparent trajectory of House passage, Trump reversed his stance, calling the case a hoax about his relationship with Epstein and an under-reported scandal involving Democrats, urging GOP support.

Writing on Truth Social late Sunday, Trump encouraged House Republicans to vote for acquittal, saying: “We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat fraud perpetrated by Radical Left lunatics to distract from the great success of the Republican Party.” He said the Justice Department had already turned over “tens of thousands” of documents and was reviewing “various Democrat operatives” mentioned in them, including Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman and Larry Summers.

Trump concluded that the House Oversight Committee could “get everything they’re legally entitled to, I don’t care!” And stressed that Republicans should focus on celebrating his administration’s accomplishments on the economy and affordability.