--- title: House Panel Defies Trump in Vote to Subpoena Epstein Files description: Three Republicans joined Democrats to pass a motion to prepare to subpoena the Justice Department for its files on Jeffrey Epstein. canonical: https://time.com/7305200/epstein-files-trump-house-subpoena/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-07-24T15:15:54.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T08:09:18.870Z article:section: Politics og:title: House Panel Defies Trump in Vote to Subpoena Epstein Files og:description: Three Republicans joined Democrats in approving the motion, a rare moment of bipartisan agreement regarding an investigation that has been shrouded in mystery. og:url: https://time.com/7305200/epstein-files-trump-house-subpoena/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt65c51f17ccd63019/6998c89c25f3ee209f644de1/GettyImages-2226709122.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari Testifies To House Committee On Crisis Of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: House Panel Defies Trump in Vote to Subpoena Epstein Files twitter:description: Three Republicans joined Democrats in approving the motion, a rare moment of bipartisan agreement regarding an investigation that has been shrouded in mystery. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt65c51f17ccd63019/6998c89c25f3ee209f644de1/GettyImages-2226709122.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # House Panel Defies Trump in Vote to Subpoena Epstein Files > Sponsored content. 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The House Oversight Committee is preparing to subpoena the Justice Department for its files related to the sex trafficking investigation into the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, after three Republicans broke with their party to join Democrats to vote on the matter. In an 8-to-2 vote late Wednesday, the panel’s Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee approved the motion to compel the release of records, a rare moment of bipartisan agreement regarding an investigation that has long been shrouded in mystery._  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Jul 24, 2025 3:15 PM UTC The House Oversight Committee is preparing to subpoena the Justice Department for its files related to the sex trafficking investigation into the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, after three Republicans broke with their party to join Democrats to vote on the matter. In an 8-to-2 vote late Wednesday, the panel’s Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee approved the motion to compel the release of records, a rare moment of bipartisan agreement regarding an investigation that has long been shrouded in mystery.  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Jul 24, 2025 3:15 PM UTC The House Oversight Committee is preparing to subpoena the Justice Department for its files related to the sex trafficking investigation into the disgraced financier [Jeffrey Epstein](https://time.com/7305146/trump-name-epstein-files-republicans-maga-supporters-react/), after three Republicans broke with their party to join Democrats to vote on the matter. In an 8-to-2 vote late Wednesday, the panel’s Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee approved the motion to compel the release of records, a rare moment of bipartisan agreement regarding an investigation that has long been [shrouded in mystery](https://time.com/7303635/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter/). The vote came amid a tense week in which Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly announced he was [sending lawmakers home](https://time.com/7304655/jeffrey-epstein-mike-johnson-trump/) a day early for its five-week recess—an apparent move to avoid precisely this kind of politically fraught vote involving Epstein. But Oversight Committee Democrats, led by Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, put together a last-minute effort to force Republicans to go on the record. Joining Democrats in the vote were GOP Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and Brian Jack of Georgia. Subcommittee Chairman Clay Higgins of Louisiana and Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona were the only no votes. The subpoena directs the Justice Department to hand over investigative materials, with redactions to protect victims’ identities and exclude any imagery depicting child sexual abuse. The documents would be reviewed by the committee internally, not released publicly. “The American people deserve transparency and accountability,” Lee [wrote on X](https://x.com/RepSummerLee), “and \[Epstein’s\] victims deserve justice. The wealthy and powerful are not above the law.” The committee also issued subpoenas for a deposition from Ghislaine Maxwell—Epstein’s longtime confidante who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking—and requested testimony from a sweeping list of political and law enforcement figures. Among them: former President Bill Clinton and Donald Trump’s former attorneys general, as well as former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. While Trump has long been at the center of Epstein-related speculation, he has recently tried to distance himself from the issue, dismissing the continued focus on Epstein as “bulls---.” On the campaign trail, Trump and his surrogates previously claimed they would be willing to investigate Epstein’s “client list,” but later resisted formal efforts to obtain more information. The issue has sharply divided Republicans. Some of Trump’s most vocal allies accuse his Administration of falling short of its promises, while others fear the files include damaging disclosures involving Trump. [The Wall Street _Journal_](https://www.wsj.com/politics/justice-department-told-trump-name-in-epstein-files-727a8038?mod=hp%5Flead%5Fpos1) reported Wednesday that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that his name appeared [multiple times](https://time.com/7305146/trump-name-epstein-files-republicans-maga-supporters-react/) in Department of Justice documents about Epstein, citing senior Administration officials. House Democratic leaders have [seized](https://time.com/7302296/jeffrey-epstein-files-trump-marc-veasey/) on the internal rift. “Speaker Johnson is definitely facilitating a cover up of epic proportions by shutting down Congress early to avoid voting on the Epstein files,” Rep. Ted Lieu of California, vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, tells TIME. “And we know Trump is all over the released Epstein files, and now we know he's all over the unreleased Epstein files, so Speaker Johnson should listen to the will of the American people instead of covering up for Donald Trump.” Even some Republicans who supported the subpoena effort tried to narrow its scope. Rep. Mace successfully added language requiring the Justice Department to include any communications with former President Joe Biden about Epstein and to shield the identities of victims. Democrats, however, blocked a GOP attempt to limit the subpoena to only information deemed “credible.” The Justice Department has said it continues to review files from the Epstein investigation but maintains that no “client list” has been found and that there is no credible evidence Epstein blackmailed powerful individuals. ## Transcript Right now, Speaker Johnson is helping Donald Trump block the release of all the files relating to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. If you want to take a stand against child trafficking, let's do it together. When powerful people exploit children, they must be held accountable for their actions. And if they try to mislead the public and hide evidence, we can't let them get away with it. So we can't allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers. So today, uh, that's why I will be offering a motion to subpoena the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files. Numerous members of this committee and this subcommittee have called for answers and transparency. So let's do something about it. How do you traffic 1000 kids and only have one accomplice? Like that? Just doesn't make sense to me. Um, and I'm for full transparency of all pedophiles and for making sure that we go after those who've raped kids who've done the worst of the worst. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I yield back. Miss miss miss miss votes I, Mr. Perry. Mr. Perry votes. Aye, miss. Boebert. Mr.. Jack. Mr.. Jack votes aye, miss Lee. Miss Lee votes yes, Mr. Bell. Mr. Bell votes aye, Miss. Simon. Miss Simon votes aye. Miss Presley, miss Presley votes aye, Mr. Garcia. Aye. Mr. Garcia votes aye, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, votes no. Mr. Biggs is not recorded. Mr. Biggs. Mr. chairman, on this vote the the I's are eight, the nays are two. 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