Congressman Gabe Evans Votes to Release the Epstein Files

WASHINGTON, DC — Today Representative Gabe Evans joined a bipartisan group of members who voted in favor of H.R. 4405; The Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation that requires the Department of Justice to publicly disclose all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein.

“As a former police officer who has worked directly on cases involving sex offenders and human trafficking, I know how deeply these crimes scar victims and families. I will always stand with the victims, and pursuing justice for them will continue to guide my decisions. While transparency is essential, we must be sensitive to the survivors who are not yet ready to have their information shared publicly. Today’s vote helps bring long-overdue answers to light while reaffirming our duty to protect and support the victims.” — Congressman Gabe Evans 

Background

The United States v. Epstein is a high-profile case involving serious charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. The case was dismissed following Epstein's death, and since then, serious efforts have been made to make various documents related to the case publicly available.

H.R. 4405, The Epstein Files Transparency Act was brought to the floor after House Res. 581, introduced by Thomas Massie (KY-04), reached 218 signatures — bypassing leadership and triggering a mandatory vote.  

Earlier this Congress, Representative Evans voted to pass H.Res.688; authorizing the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to request all Department of Justice (DOJ) documents related to Epstein, as well as estate and bank records from the Department of the Treasury. This resolution included binding subpoena authority, 11 deposition subpoenas, and 3 written declarations, while providing sufficient protections for the privacy of the victims.

Since the beginning of the 119th Congress, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform — under the jurisdiction of Chairman James Comer —  has actively investigated prior mismanagement of the Epstein case. Throughout the investigation, the Committee has released more than 60,000 documents to the public, which can be found on their website.