President Donald Trump's MAGA base has been up in arms after his administration reneged on its promise to release documents related to the investigation. Last week, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi suddenly announced that no new Epstein-related documents would be made public, angering supporters who promoted conspiracy theories that Epstein was killed in prison in 2019 and that the registered sex offender maintained a client list to blackmail powerful people.
"This systematic review revealed no incriminating 'client list,' the Department of Justice memo states. "There was no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions....After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019."
While Trump is urging his base to move on from the Epstein saga, House Democrats have launched efforts to compel documents from the investigation, forcing House Republicans to decide if they will stay loyal to Trump. Earlier this week, the Republican-majority House Rules Committee blocked an amendment in a 6 to 5 vote that would have forced the Justice Department to release all of the Epstein files. U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina was the only Republican to side with the Democrats and vote for the release.
After that effort failed, the House GOP rejected a Democratic procedural maneuver that tried, once again, to force the release of the documents. The House voted 211 to 210 against allowing a vote on California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna's amendment to the cryptocurrency bill that would have required Bondi to "retain, preserve, and compile any records or evidence related to any investigation, prosecution, or incarceration of Jeffrey Epstein."
"Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall release and publish any records or evidence related to any investigation, prosecution, or incarceration of Jeffrey Epstein on a publicly accessible website," the amendment continues.
Nine Republicans, none representing Florida, did not vote on the measure. Florida Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson also did not vote. Otherwise, the vote fell along party lines.
Here is how the Florida representatives voted:
Oppose Epstein Files Release
Aaron BeanGus Bilirakis
Vern Buchanan
Kat Cammack
Mario Díaz-Balart
Byron Donalds
Neal Dunn
Randy Fine
Scott Franklin
Carlos Giménez
Mike Haridopolos
Laurel Lee
Anna Paulina Luna
Brian Mast
Cory Mills
Jimmy Patronis
John Rutherford
María Elvira Salazar
W. Gregory Steube
Daniel Webster
Support Epstein Files Release
Kathy CastorSheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Lois Frankel
Maxwell Frost
Jared Moskowitz
Darren Soto
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, Trump bashed his "PAST supporters" for buying into the Democrat-led "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax."
"They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for eight long years," he wrote. "I have had more success in six months than perhaps any President in our Country's history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax."
