Diyar Guldogan
23 July 2025•Update: 24 July 2025
WASHINGTON
US House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back Wednesday against allegations that Republican lawmakers are obstructing efforts to release files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"No one in Congress is blocking Epstein documents. No one in Congress is doing that," Johnson told reporters.
It came one day after Johnson announced he would shut down the chamber early for August recess, blocking Democratic efforts to force votes on releasing investigation files on Epstein.
"What we are doing here, Republicans, are preventing Democrats from making a mockery of the rules committee process because we refuse to engage in their political charade," Johnson said.
Johnson said President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to pursue the release of grand jury information
"We are pushing for the release of all credible information to be released with regard to the Epstein matter," Johnson said, adding that the Trump administration is working through the court to unseal the documents.
A reporter asked, "We've seen conservatives shut down the House floor routinely. You saw that you had to pull the rule because of fear of Epstein votes," Johnson interrupted: "No, we don't have any fear."
"There's no fear. We're not going to allow the Democrats to use this as a political cudgel," he added.
- 'Speaker Johnson created Epstein Recess'
Johnson said the Trump administration wants "every single person who is involved in any way in the Epstein evils to be brought to swift justice."
"We want the full weight of the law to fall upon their head. I’ll do everything within my power to make sure. That process is underway right now, and we'll see how it plays out," he added.
Epstein reportedly killed himself in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. While his death was ruled a suicide, a wave of conspiracy theories emerged because of his well-documented connections to famous and powerful public figures.
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed Johnson for the Epstein fallout and called the August break the "Epstein Recess" because the issue is going to "grow and grow."
"Meanwhile, yesterday was truly a sorry sight in the House of Representatives," Schumer said on the Senate floor, noting Johnson decided to cut bait and send House members home to "escape" discussions about Epstein.
Schumer claimed that Johnson "declared the Epstein Recess to give Trump time to prepare papers for the pardon of Ghislaine Maxwell."
The speaker should not send the lawmakers home early to "avoid dealing" with the Epstein issue, Schumer said.
"The American people have a right to know what happened. But instead, Speaker Johnson created that Epstein Recess. It's an awful decision," he added.
