WASHINGTON, July 15, 2025 — House Speaker Mike Johnson is calling for the full release of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, breaking ranks with former President Donald Trump and further inflaming tensions within the Republican Party. Johnson’s remarks came during a podcast interview and have since triggered a wave of bipartisan interest in long-suppressed government files tied to Epstein’s global sex trafficking operation.
“It’s a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide,” Johnson said, referring to the controversy that reignited last week after Attorney General Pam Bondi remarked in an interview that she had a “client list” of Epstein associates “sitting on my desk right now.” Johnson demanded that Bondi clarify her statement and explain what exactly the Justice Department is withholding. “The public deserves to know what this list is, if it exists, and why it hasn’t been made public,” he said. “The credibility of the Department is at stake.”
Johnson’s push for transparency comes just days after House Democrats, led by Representatives Ro Khanna of California and Marc Veasey of Texas, attempted to force a vote on a resolution compelling the release of all Epstein-related records. Their discharge petition fell short of the required signatures, largely due to Republican resistance. Still, Johnson’s public comments signal a shift among GOP leadership, even as he stopped short of endorsing the Democratic plan outright. He indicated that the Department of Justice should release the information voluntarily rather than through legislation, which he warned could be “divisive and distracting.”
The speaker’s remarks have stirred conflict inside his own party. Hardline conservatives and populist Republicans, including Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri and Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, have echoed Johnson’s demand and are now urging Congress to subpoena Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to testify under oath. Meanwhile, a small group of House Republicans has signaled a willingness to work with Democrats on a new push for disclosure if the DOJ does not act on its own. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky said he is open to supporting “any serious bipartisan effort to release the files.”
Trump, who appointed Bondi as Attorney General during his second term, has remained largely silent on the matter except to defend her in a Truth Social post calling the controversy “manufactured outrage.” Trump said he trusted Bondi to “do the right thing” and accused the media of politicizing a tragic case. He made no mention of Johnson’s comments.
Democrats have seized on the growing GOP divide. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the American people “deserve the truth” and praised Speaker Johnson for “at least recognizing the urgency and the public’s right to know.” In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for hearings and urged the Biden administration to release all unclassified files related to Epstein and Maxwell.
For now, Bondi has not responded to Johnson’s remarks or the growing calls for clarity. The Department of Justice maintains that its Epstein investigation is “ongoing in scope and review,” but has not provided a timeline for any potential release of documents.
Johnson’s comments have added fuel to a firestorm that shows no sign of abating, drawing fresh scrutiny to the Republican Party’s fractured leadership and the lingering mystery of who knew what—and when—in one of the most explosive criminal cases in recent American history.
