Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Okla.), a Senate Republican deputy whip, on Thursday blocked a request by Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) to demand the Trump administration release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Gallego, a first-term senator, stood up on the Senate floor to demand that colleagues “show the American people that they deserve the truth” and insist on “no more shady cover-ups.”
“If there is any evidence of a cover-up in the Epstein case, the public has a right to know. If there is a list, the public deserves to see it and Americans deserve to see the truth even if it’s not what Donald Trump and his elite friends want,” he said.
Gallego asked for the Senate to immediately proceed to a resolution to demand the release of Epstein-related files, including an alleged client list, which the Department of Justice says does not exist.
“I’m calling on my fellow senators to join me in demanding the Department of Justice release Epstein files to restore the public trust, affirm institutional accountability and to prevent the politicization of justice,” he said.
The request was immediately snuffed out by Mullin, who dismissed it as “nothing but political theater.”
“It’s so obvious that the Democrats are just using this for a political football,” he said.
“If they are serious about it, what happened the last four years?” he asked, referring to President Biden’s four years in office when Democrats controlled the Justice Department.
“Where were they?” Mullin asked of Democrats who are now joining the chorus of calls to investigate Epstein’s connections to Trump and other wealthy elites.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) dodged a question Tuesday on why Democrats had not insisted on the release of files related to Epstein when they controlled the White House and Senate from 2021 to the beginning of 2025.
“The bottom line is they should release the files now,” Schumer said.
Democrats have sought to highlight the uproar over the Epstein files, but it’s some of Trump’s most ardent supporters who have been leading the charge to demand the White House make the documents public and expressing outrage with the administration. Trump himself has tried to tamp down the controversy.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Thursday morning that he’s not hearing any discussion among Senate Republicans to advance a resolution to force the disclosure of Epstein-related files.
“I’m not hearing it,” he said.
Thune on Monday said he would leave decisions about whether to release additional Epstein-related documents and information to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
“I’ll leave that up to DOJ and to the FBI. I think that’s in their purview. I think the president’s expressed his views on it and so I’ll just leave it at that,” Thune said.
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