Epstein haunts GOP in US midterms as Democrats vow fresh probes
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump can’t shake the furore over Jeffrey Epstein.
asserted
Trump → haunt → Epstein
Democrats are preparing to launch congressional investigations into the administration’s handling of files related to the late, disgraced sex offender if they regain power after the Nov 3 midterm elections.
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they → prepare → elections
They say the administration botched the release of documents and are using the issue to hammer Trump and GOP lawmakers in key races.
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administration → say → races
“The Epstein investigation is going to be one of our top priorities,” Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said in an interview, alongside probes into the Trump family’s business dealings, allegations of corporate corruption and the president’s immigration crackdown.
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Garcia → go → corruption
“The country wants disclosure, they want release of the files and they want justice for the survivors,” Garcia said.
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Garcia → want → survivors
For Trump, it’s a full-circle moment.
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it → ’ → Trump
The president in 2024 indicated a willingness to release files pertaining to investigations into Epstein.
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president → indicate → Epstein
But in office, after releasing several tranches that failed to satisfy lawmakers and many Epstein victims, Trump urged the public and Congress to move on from what he called a “hoax.”
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he → release → what
The midterms in 2026 have made clear that many are not ready to move on.
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are → make → 2026
With Trump and his party fighting an uphill battle to keep control of Congress, the lingering tumult over Epstein’s crimes has added to the GOP’s electoral woes and underscored how difficult it has been for the president to put the issue to rest.
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president → fight → rest
Polls show Democrats poised to obtain a majority in the House and they have made it clear they intend to open fresh investigations into Epstein’s actions, Trump’s ties to him and the government’s handling of the files.
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they → show → files
Any probe would ripple well beyond Washington, with Wall Street and corporate America already bracing for a wave of Democratic investigations.
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Street → ripple → investigations
Garcia said major banks that had ties to Epstein’s financial dealings are among those who could be called to testify.
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who → say → those
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration was focused on the upcoming midterms and declined to detail any preparations for potential House probes.
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administration → speak → probes
The administration has nothing to hide on the Epstein case, the official said.
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official → have → case
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said Trump had “been totally exonerated on anything related to Epstein” and through disclosures of files “done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him.”
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Trump → say → him
Campaign cudgel
Democrats are not waiting until they regain power to put the spotlight back on Epstein.
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they → wait → Epstein
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico sought to counter September’s Republican midterm convention by holding an event with an Epstein survivor and demanding that all of the files be released.
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all → seek → files
In Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff has criticised how Republicans handled the release of the documents.
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Republicans → criticise → documents
And it’s not just the candidates who have kept Epstein hovering over the midterms.
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who → ’ → midterms
At a Trump rally in October, a woman wearing a T-shirt that read “Release the Epstein Files” was physically accosted by supporters of the president and removed from the arena by security.
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that → wear → security
Vice-President J.D. Vance was interrupted by a protester calling for the release of the files at a North Carolina rally on Oct 26.
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Vance → interrupt → Oct
The Epstein files have long been the centre of speculation over the late financier’s wealthy and powerful contacts and any connections they may have had to his conduct.
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they → have → conduct
“The Epstein issue blows up into a larger narrative of how Republicans were helping their donors, the billionaires, the wealthiest and most well-connected people at the expense of working-class people,” said Neera Tanden, a longtime Democratic operative who leads the Center for American Progress.
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who → blow → Progress
Some of his supporters helped stoke the so-called Pizzagate conspiracy that sought to link Hillary Clinton to a fictitious cabal of child sex traffickers.
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that → help → traffickers
Following his campaign pledge, Trump’s administration released some of the Epstein files a month into his presidency to cheers from right-wing supporters, but many of those documents had been previously released.
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many → follow → documents
Subsequent releases were messy, including efforts to redact Trump’s own name from files.
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releases → include → files
As the controversy dragged on Trump bristled at continued questions from reporters about Epstein.
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Trump → drag → Epstein
Trump, who shared a friendship with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, has repeatedly said he cut ties with him almost two decades ago before his crimes came to attention.
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crimes → share → attention
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges that he engaged in sex trafficking of minors.
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he → arrest → minors
He died in jail by suicide, according to the authorities.
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He → die → authorities
‘Real accountability’
Garcia said Democrats have a two-pronged goal of releasing more files and investigating some of those named in previously disclosed documents.
“There has to be real accountability there.
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Democrats → say → documents
And there has to be real investigation,” he said.
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he → have → ?
People are interested in this topic, people ask about it all the time.
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people → ask → it
While current House Oversight Chairman James Comer, a Republican, has investigated the Epstein case to a degree, including through subpoenas and depositions, Democrats say he hasn’t done enough to obtain testimony under oath from key figures.
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he → investigate → figures
“People are angry,” Garcia said.
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Garcia → say → ?
“The president made promises, and he went back on them.”
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he → make → them
A House Oversight Committee spokeswoman said every witness in the panel’s investigation was required to “verbally acknowledge that they understand their obligation to tell the truth.”
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they → say → truth
In a statement, the spokeswoman touted the committee’s work, which she said included 19 witness interviews and depositions, releasing approximately 65,000 pages of documents and uncovering allegations of sexual misconduct that were referred to the Department of Justice.
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that → tout → Justice
Garcia has called previously for Attorney-General Todd Blanche to testify.
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Blanche → call → ?
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
