Top US Senate Democrat leader presses Trump administration to release Epstein files

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) – The US Senate’s top Democrat said Tuesday that the Justice Department must follow the law and release documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, accusing President Donald Trump of failing to follow through on a promise to make the files public.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that nearly a month ago “every single senator and all but one member of Congress” sent Trump a unified message calling for the release of the Epstein files.

"It's time for the truth to come out. Donald Trump promised to release the files, and to date, he's failed to deliver," Schumer said.

Schumer argued that the issue transcends party lines, framing it instead as a matter of transparency and accountability.

"I want to be clear that the Epstein files is not a fight between Democrats and Republicans. It's a fight between those who want the truth and those who keep lying to the public," he said.

The New York Democrat said Trump had pledged to release the files but has not done so, raising questions about the delay.

“And if Donald Trump won’t come clean, if he keeps hiding the truth, the American people are going to be asking a very simple question,” Schumer said. “What the hell is President Trump trying to hide?”

Schumer said the Justice Department has until Friday to release the documents, warning that he expects resistance from Trump and his allies.

Before signing into law the bill to release the Epstein files, Trump last month ordered the Justice Department to investigate Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with former President Bill Clinton and other Democrats who also appear in the files. Commentators have suggested Trump will cite such probes as justification to not release the files, as matters currently under investigation are shielded from public release.

- 'Why is Donald Trump so afraid of these files?'

“I’ll be blunt, we fully expect that Donald Trump and (Attorney General) Pam Bondi will try every trick they can think up to weasel out of fully releasing the Epstein files,” Schumer said, calling Trump “a notorious liar” and accusing him of trying to push the public to “move on from Jeffrey Epstein.”

"Why? Why is Donald Trump so afraid of these files? Well, as they say, where there's smoke, there's fire."

Schumer concluded by directly urging Trump to act.

“So President Trump, it’s time to release the Epstein files, all of them,” he said. “It’s time to stop hiding the truth. It’s time, Donald Trump, for you to keep your promise to the American people — the promise you campaigned on.”

Last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released an additional 20,000 pages of documents received from Epstein. This latest production contains over 95,000 photos, including images of Trump, Clinton, Trump ally Steve Bannon, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and British mogul Richard Branson.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In what critics call a “sweetheart deal,” in 2008 he had pleaded guilty in Florida federal court and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution but did not have to face more serious charges.

His victims have alleged he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was utilized by members of the wealthy and political elite.

Epstein’s case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims’ advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Their past social and business ties, as well as Epstein’s extensive links to political, business, and academic figures in the US and abroad, have fueled calls for the broad release of official records.