By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - Rep. Robert Garcia said Thursday that US House of Representatives investigators intend to broaden their inquiry related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling for testimony from President Donald Trump.
"I think today also sets a precedent. So, I want to be very clear that we have said from day one that we want to talk to former President Bill Clinton, and the other person we want to talk to is current President Donald Trump," Garcia told reporters.
Garcia’s remark came ahead of a closed-door deposition in New York by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is conducting a probe connected to Epstein. Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to meet with the committee on Friday.
"Let's get President Trump in front of our committee to answer the questions that are being asked across this country from survivors, from those who have been brutally attacked and raped, sometimes as children," said Garcia.
The Democrat also accused the Department of Justice (DOJ) of withholding records tied to the Epstein case.
“The Department of Justice continues to lead a White House cover-up,” Garcia said. “We’re going to be demanding that the remaining files that have not been released get released to the public.”
Garcia alleged that newly discovered files involve a survivor who has made serious accusations not only against Epstein but also against Trump, related to alleged abuse when she was a minor.
He claimed that certain interview materials and information connected to the survivor appear to be missing from the DOJ archives.
"We have seen the DOJ files and the archive manifest that clearly shows that the interviews and information around this survivor have been removed and are missing from the DOJ files. Where are these files? Who removed them? Those questions have to be answered," Garcia added.
Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In 2008, he pleaded guilty in a court in the state of Florida to procuring a minor for prostitution, but critics call the relatively minor conviction a “sweetheart deal.”
His victims have alleged that he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was used by members of the wealthy and political elite.