Congress just passed a bill almost unanimously that requires the Department of Justice to release all records and documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump says he’ll sign the bill as soon as he gets it. After that, the Department of Justice has 30 days to release all the files. But what’s really going on here?
Either Trump really believes that all the files should be made public, or he’s found an off ramp. To start, the bill allows the Department of Justice to withhold or redact things like personal information, the tactics of law enforcement, and anything related to ongoing investigations or prosecutions like the investigation Donald Trump just said he wants to open into Democrats associated with Epstein.
Also, classified information can be withheld. And who has the power to classify information? It’s the attorney general and… the president. In other words, the White House could just claim it’s withholding things in those categories or force things into those categories by classifying documents and opening investigations, and then could just hide whatever makes the president and his friends look bad, which would be illegal.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Trump-Epstein coverup story.
Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.
