Thomas Massie Labels Trump’s Presidency The ‘epstein Administration’ Amid Dispute Over Files

Rep. Thomas Massie branded Donald Trump’s presidency nan “Epstein administration” connected Sunday arsenic he laid into nan president and his deputy, Attorney General Pam Bondi, for what immoderate members of Congress person described as an effort to stonewall the merchandise of nan Epstein files.

The Republican typical from Kentucky was 1 of 2 members of Congress, on pinch Rep. Ro Khanna, to lead a discharge petition past twelvemonth aimed astatine forcing nan Justice Department to people nan grade of its gathered grounds and accusation relating to Jeffrey Epstein. The measurement passed aft gaining wide bipartisan support past year, and was begrudgingly signed into rule by nan president.

The congressman was asked astir nan president’s anger towards him during an question and reply Sunday pinch ABC’s Martha Raddatz connected This Week, and responded by claiming that nan Trump management was still moving to protect powerful men named successful nan files.

"Donald Trump told america that moreover though he had meal pinch these group successful New York City and West Palm Beach, that he would beryllium transparent, but he's not. He's still successful pinch nan Epstein class. This is nan Epstein administration,” said Massie. “There are billionaires that are friends pinch these people, and that’s what I’m up against successful D.C.”

The Independent has contacted nan White House for comment.

Massie became a individual foe of nan president arsenic a consequence of breaking pinch him connected various argumentation issues, culminating pinch nan Epstein files vote. Trump later vowed to bankroll a superior situation against him.

On Sunday, Massie besides reacted to nan grounds of Bondi past week earlier nan House Judiciary Committee, wherever he and respective different lawmakers attempted to property nan lawyer wide connected redactions successful nan files and delays successful their publication

The DOJ now says it has released each of its files pertaining to nan investigation, but Massie and different members of Congress person complained that their entree to nan unredacted versions — which tin only beryllium viewed astatine DOJ office nether surveillance — is still being restricted successful immoderate ways.

“They took down immoderate of nan astir important documents, 2 of them involving Virginia Giuffre’s case,” Massie said connected ABC. “We want to beryllium capable to look astatine each these files. They can't support those documents down aft they've already produced them."

The Department of Justice remains adamant that nan grounds gathered arsenic portion of nan agency’s 2019 investigation into Epstein did not move retired incriminating grounds against immoderate powerful figures prevention for Epstein himself and his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who remains successful a U.S. prison. The billionaire financier was recovered dormant successful his compartment successful 2019 while awaiting proceedings connected kid activity trafficking charges, pinch national authorities labeling it a suicide.

Members of Congress who person viewed nan unredacted versions opportunity nan files incorporate references to victims arsenic young arsenic 9 years old. They’ve criticized nan agency complete redactions made successful nan nationalist versions of nan files.

“We didn’t want to spot immoderate redactions of nan names of co-conspirators, accomplices, enablers, abusers, rapists, simply to spare them imaginable embarrassment, governmental sensitivity aliases ugliness of immoderate kind,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat connected nan Judiciary committee, said past week.

“And yet nonetheless, nan Epstein […] documents that were released are filled pinch redactions of names and accusation astir group who intelligibly are not victims and whitethorn autumn into that different category.”

Though nary 1 other has been held criminally accountable for associations pinch Epstein aliases Maxwell, nan fallout from relationships exposed successful nan files has already been enormous, with a world reach. In nan U.K., contention complete erstwhile ambassador and Labour adjacent Peter Mandelson’s relation pinch Epstein led to him resigning from nan House of Lords while questions astir his assignment person pressured Keir Starmer, nan premier minister.

Trump, whose sanction appears “more than a cardinal times” successful nan unredacted files according to Rep. Raskin, has not been accused of wrongdoing. But his relationship pinch Epstein and admittance that Virginia Giuffre antecedently worked astatine Mar-a-Lago, wherever she met nan activity trafficking pedophile Epstein, person caused monolithic headaches for nan president.

The president has frequently called connected Republican voters to driblet their interest successful nan investigation, to small avail.