House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., talks to reporters as he arrives for the deposition of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Jose Luis Magana/FR159526 AP
The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee released a report Tuesday on its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, concluding that the federal government mishandled criminal investigations into the disgraced financier and failed survivors.
“Epstein operated with impunity, shielded and enabled by powerful connections and a justice system that repeatedly failed his victims,” said committee Chair James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky.
The scathing report comes after 15 months of interviews with 19 people, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary ClintonMicrosoft co-founder Bill Gates and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Many of the interviews were conducted behind closed doors, with transcripts released days later.
Appearing in the Department of Justice’s Epstein files or before the committee is not necessarily an indication of criminal wrongdoing.
The report found that the facts revealed by the investigation do not suggest President Donald Trump was implicated in any of Epstein’s crimes. The report also accuses Democrats of launching an “unfounded witch hunt” by attempting to insinuate that Trump was involved in Epstein’s crimes.
Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019 and later died in prison. Authorities determined his death was a suicide.
Changing of the guard
In January, Democrats will take control of the House, with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) expected to be at the helm of the committee. In a statement Tuesday, Garcia criticized the report as “partisan.”
“Oversight Republicans have released a report based on an incomplete investigation and zero public hearings on Jeffrey Epstein,” Garcia said. “We intend to hold real public hearings uplifting survivors and asking tough questions of the powerful men who associated with Epstein, including Donald Trump. Our work is just getting started.”
Trump has long maintained he had a falling out with the disgraced financier before Epstein was indicted for soliciting prostitution in 2006. In February, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told NPR in a statement that “just as President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein.”
The report puts the next steps in the Epstein investigation into the hands of the DOJ, saying that the agency needs to interview or re-interview witnesses and investigate crimes committed by Epstein’s associates. Maxwell is the only associate of Epstein to be charged with a crime and sentenced to prison.
In Junethe committee interviewed Sarah Kellen, a longtime assistant of Epstein, who says she is also a survivor of his abuse. According to the committee’s report, Kellen revealed the names of two men in her transcribed testimony that the committee sent to the DOJ for further investigation. The DOJ has not announced any investigations into the men.
The report concludes that if not for the “failures” of federal prosecutors in South Florida and Washington, Epstein’s crimes after 2005 could have been prevented. Epstein’s conviction in 2008 for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14 has long been criticized as a “sweetheart deal.” Epstein served 13 months in Palm Beach County Jail with a 12-hour work release during the day. In addition, he had to register as a sex offender.
ADDS NAMES – Victims of Jeffrey Epstein sit in the front row, from left, Liz Stein, Dani Bensky, Sky Roberts, brother of a victim, Amanda Roberts, sister-in-law of a victim and Lara Blume McGee, as Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Texas state Rep. James Talarico speaks during an event in Dallas, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.
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Jacquelyn Martin/AP
The report also says that “Epstein’s pervasive influence and far-reaching connections” shielded him from further investigation. After Gates appeared before the committee in JuneRep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, called Epstein a “friend collector.”
“He just liked to have people around him that were a big deal,” Burchett said.
The report also says Trump’s DOJ did not adequately communicate about the release of the Epstein files or protect survivors’ personal information. The release was after the passage of the Epstein Transparency Act in 2025 and the release of millions of pages of documents. Large portions of the files were redacted, but the identities of many survivors were exposed.
Finally, the report concludes that some financial institutions failed to act on indicators of human trafficking and immigration fraud, enabling Epstein’s activities. It said that the Treasury Department and its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network should review whether financial institutions are meeting their reporting responsibilities.
In a statement released Tuesday, the DOJ said Attorney General Todd Blanche has repeatedly said “the Epstein case is not closed and there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking.”
“With all due respect, the Chairman’s recommendations have already been addressed,” the DOJ statement said of committee chair, James Comer. “The Department will continue following all additional investigative leads in matters relating to Jeffrey Epstein. Any victims with evidence and information are encouraged to reach out to the FBI.”
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein on March 28, 2017.
New York State Sex Offender Registry/via AP
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New York State Sex Offender Registry/via AP
What’s next?
Garcia has promised that when the committee is under Democratic control that it will continue the investigation into Epstein with hearings open to the public.
Other Democrats, as well as some Republicans, have continued to push to hold Epstein associates accountable.
In September, the House of Representatives held billionaire investor Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying two congressional subpoenas. Between 2013 and 2017, Black paid Epstein millions of dollars. Black said the money was for tax and estate planning services, and he has since sued the committee and Comer to invalidate the subpoenas. Then, he sued Garcia for defamation.
Source: www.npr.org
