House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday he plans to personally review the unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files now being made available to lawmakers, signaling growing momentum in Congress to scrutinize long-sought records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender.
Speaking to MS NOW, Johnson said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and other members are already examining the documents, which have been placed in a secure facility for congressional review.
"For me, it's time," Johnson said. "I've got Chairman Comer and many of our colleagues that are going down to comb through that. Chairman Comer will go do it himself. I have a lot of faith in him and his ability and his team."
The release follows years of bipartisan pressure on the Justice Department to provide greater transparency surrounding Epstein's associates, finances and the handling of past investigations.
Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for access to the records, arguing the public deserves clarity on how Epstein was able to evade accountability for so long and whether powerful figures received preferential treatment.
Johnson said the documents are unredacted and accessible to members in a secure setting, adding that he intends to review them himself despite competing legislative demands. "It's unredacted and available to everybody. I intend to go down myself," he said.
The speaker also said he is "convinced" the Justice Department is complying with its legal obligations, even as Congress awaits a formal explanation for why certain information had previously been withheld.
"We still have a pending report where they will formally explain why some of the redactions are made," Johnson said, while praising the department's decision to allow lawmakers direct access.
"I think it's a good move for them to put the millions of documents in the SCIF [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility] so that members can go in and see and verify this for themselves. There's some good work, good review being done on that. I applaud it. It's important," he added.
Oversight Committee members are expected to continue reviewing the files in the coming weeks as Congress weighs whether additional disclosures to the public are warranted.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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