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Archive photo · 31 March 2026House Oversight Committee Rebukes DOJ Over Jeffrey Epstein Case, Urges New Probe
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Republican-led House Oversight Committee released a 136-page report criticizing DOJ's Epstein handling. The report urges renewed investigations into Epstein associates and reinterviewing key witnesses.
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House report targets DOJ
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee released a 136-page report on its 15-month Jeffrey Epstein probe, rebuking the Justice Department's handling of the case and recommending that the department renew its investigation of Epstein's associates. The report blamed federal prosecutors for failures that it said could have prevented the crimes committed by Epstein after 2005, and it cited "poor judgment" and "Epstein's pervasive and wide-reaching influence".
The committee also faulted the Justice Department for failing to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act and for releasing files that included sensitive information about Epstein's victims. A DOJ spokesperson responded that "With all due respect, the Chairman's recommendations have already been addressed," and the spokesperson said the Attorney General has repeatedly said the Epstein case is not closed and there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking.
Witnesses, associates, and denials
The House Oversight Committee urged the Justice Department to interview or reinterview key witnesses and pursue allegations against two men linked to Epstein, while it called for further questioning of another longtime Epstein assistant.
The report said Epstein's crimes after 2005 could have been prevented had federal investigators and prosecutors pursued original allegations more aggressively, and it described a 2007 agreement that allowed Epstein to evade federal prosecution.
The committee chairman James Comer said the report concluded that "Epstein operated with impunity, shielded and enabled by powerful connections and a justice system that repeatedly failed his victims," and he called on the Justice Department to "interview or re-interview key witnesses".
Rep. Robert Garcia said the majority-authored report is incomplete and vowed to continue the investigation, and he said, "Oversight Republicans have released a report based on an incomplete investigation and zero public hearings on Jeffrey Epstein."
What comes next
The committee recommended that Congress pass legislation to prevent the weaponisation of non-disclosure agreements, which it said Epstein used to silence survivors. The report also alleged that deficient redactions exposed survivors' sensitive personal information, and it stated that "questions remain as to whether the DOJ has released all its relevant documents."
The committee said it found no documents implicating President Donald Trump in criminal activity related to Epstein, while it accused Democrats of being "obsessed" with trying to implicate him. The BBC reported that the Justice Department spokesperson said, "The Chairman's recommendations have already been addressed," and the spokesperson added that the Attorney General has repeatedly said the Epstein case is not closed and there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking.
