WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today joined dozens of his Senate colleagues in a letter urging Republican leadership to immediately vote on legislation aimed at releasing the Epstein files. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), the Caucus calls on the Majority Leader to bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed the House of Representatives earlier today 427-1, to the Senate floor as soon as possible for a vote. The bill would require the Department of Justice to release all documents and records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, ensuring transparency with the American people and justice for the victims.

“As you know, despite promises from then-candidate Donald Trump, the current Trump Administration DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), President Trump, and his subordinates have obfuscated, misdirected, and obstructed efforts in both the Senate and the House to secure release of the Epstein files. In 2024, President Trump stated on the campaign trail that he would “declassify” the Epstein files. Attorney General Bondi, once confirmed by the Senate, indicated that the Epstein client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.” However, President Trump and his Administration have not kept their promises,” the senators wrote.

“Newly released emails raise serious questions about President Trump’s knowledge of, and possible complicity in, Epstein’s crimes. In 2011, Epstein emailed Maxwell, ‘that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. [victim] spent hours at my house with him ,, [sic] he has never once been mentioned.’ In 2019, Epstein again referenced President Trump, stating ‘of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.’ These revelations further demonstrate the urgent need for the Trump Administration to provide transparency and release the full Epstein files,” the senators continued.

“Now that a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives has responsibly acted to provide transparency on this matter – we call on you to quickly hold a vote in the U.S. Senate to help deliver the accountability that was promised and that so many Americans are demanding,” the senators concluded.

Joining King on the letter are U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The full text of the letter can be found here or below.

+++

Dear Majority Leader Thune:

We call on you to immediately bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 185) to a vote on the Senate floor. This bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on November 18^th with bipartisan support, would require the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to make documents and records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell publicly available and provide much-needed transparency to the American people.

As you know, despite promises from then-candidate Donald Trump, the current Trump Administration DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), President Trump, and his subordinates have obfuscated, misdirected, and obstructed efforts in both the Senate and the House to secure release of the Epstein files. In 2024, President Trump stated on the campaign trail that he would “declassify” the Epstein files. Attorney General Bondi, once confirmed by the Senate, indicated that the Epstein client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.”3 However, President Trump and his Administration have not kept their promises.

As Members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Leader Schumer made clear earlier this year in multiple letters to Attorney General Bondi, “[a]fter missteps and failed promises by your Department regarding these [Epstein] files, it is essential that the Trump Administration provide full transparency.” Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Durbin has disclosed that, according to FBI whistleblowers, FBI personnel were instructed to “flag” any Epstein records in which President Trump was mentioned. When Senator Durbin asked Attorney General Bondi about this during a Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Bondi stonewalled, saying, “I’m not going to discuss anything about that with you.” Despite multiple Senate oversight requests and House subpoenas for release of the full and complete Epstein files, DOJ and the FBI have refused to produce any information to the Senate and have failed to provide the complete set of files to the House.

House Republican leadership has tried to provide cover for the Trump Administration by not backing efforts to require the documents to be released. Speaker Johnson refused to swear in U.S. Representative Adelita Grijalva for seven weeks to block her from signing the discharge petition that ultimately forced the House vote on the bill.

Newly released emails raise serious questions about President Trump’s knowledge of, and possible complicity in, Epstein’s crimes. In 2011, Epstein emailed Maxwell, “that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. [victim] spent hours at my house with him ,, [sic] he has never once been mentioned.” In 2019, Epstein again referenced President Trump, stating “of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop”. These revelations further demonstrate the urgent need for the Trump Administration to provide transparency and release the full Epstein files.

The U.S. Senate has the chance to show strong leadership and swiftly pass this legislation. We urge you to promptly proceed to the consideration of H.R. 185 on the Senate floor pursuant to Senate Rule XIV, so that the legislation can be immediately placed on the Senate Calendar.

The victims of Jeffrey Epstein – and the American people – deserve answers, accountability and the truth. So far, they have only seen empty promises from President Trump and his Administration. Now that a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives has responsibly acted to provide transparency on this matter – we call on you to quickly hold a vote in the U.S. Senate to help deliver the accountability that was promised and that so many Americans are demanding.

Sincerely,

###