Topline
House Republicans are preparing to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell as the Justice Department’s decision not to release documents detailing its Epstein investigation have divided Republicans and caused a break between President Donald Trump and his base.
Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at Mar-a-Lago in … More Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
Key Facts
The GOP-led House Oversight Committee on Tuesday advanced a motion to subpoena Maxwell and depose her “as expeditiously as possible,” a committee aide said in a statement to Politico.
The motion comes as some Republicans continue to call for the release of the Epstein files despite Trump’s insistence that his supporters drop the issue—Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who sponsored the motion, said in a statement to Politico “this deposition will help the American people understand how Jeffrey Epstein was able to carry out his evil actions for so long without being brought to justice.”
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme, is garnering renewed attention in the wake of the controversial Justice Department decision.
Earlier Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said he is also hoping to meet with Maxwell, at Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, to ask her for additional information about other Epstein associates who may have committed crimes.
Tuesday’s motion came just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., cancelled votes planned for Thursday and sent the House into recess early Tuesday to avoid Democrats forcing a vote a bipartisan push to compel Congress to decide whether to release additional Epstein files.
Crucial Quote
“Was I a little ticked off he said that stuff? Sure, I was, but I’m a big boy, ma’am,” Burchett told ABC News, referring to Trump’s comments that people still calling for the release of the Epstein files are “foolish.”
Tangent
Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, told Forbes in a statement she is in discussions with the Justice Department and said Maxwell “will always testify truthfully,” adding, “We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth.”
Key Background
Facing unrelenting backlash from his base, Trump’s administration has taken a series of actions in recent days widely viewed to be ways of distracting attention from the Epstein saga. On Monday, the Justice Department released additional documents related to its investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server and Martin Luther King Jr.’s death. Trump on Sunday also went on a Truth Social posting spree, including sharing artificial