In a striking display of bipartisan cooperation, the U.S. House of Representatives today voted 427-1 to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and the Senate followed hours later by approving the measure through unanimous consent.
The legislation requires the Attorney General to release, within 30 days of enactment, all unclassified Department of Justice records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in a publicly accessible, searchable, and downloadable format.
Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell, his longtime associate, was convicted in 2021 for recruiting and grooming underage victims for him. The newly passed bill targets federal investigative files rather than the court documents from earlier civil litigation that were unsealed in 2024.
The only “no” vote in the House came from Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), who expressed concern that full release could violate the privacy of victims or individuals not involved in any wrongdoing.
President Trump, who had previously resisted calls to release Epstein-related materials, announced his support for the bill and stated he will sign it into law.
Notably, the law forbids withholding or redacting information solely to prevent embarrassment, reputational damage, or political fallout—even for prominent public officials. Redactions are permitted only for narrowly defined reasons, such as protecting victim identities or child sexual abuse material. Omissions are also allowed for information that could create a national security risk or jeopardize an active federal investigation. Within 15 days after the release, the Attorney General must submit a report to Congress explaining any redactions and listing any government officials or politically exposed persons mentioned in the documents.
The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). Its near-unanimous passage in both chambers reflects widespread agreement that the public and, above all, the survivors deserve full transparency and long-overdue accountability.