House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., speaks with reporters as he arrives for Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/José Luis Magana)
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José Luis Magana/FR159526 AP
The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee released a report Tuesday on its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, concluding that the federal government mishandled criminal investigations into the disgraced financier and washed-up survivors.
“Epstein acted with impunity, protected and facilitated by powerful connections and a justice system that repeatedly failed his victims,” said commission chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican.
This scathing report comes after 15 months of interviews with 19 people, including former President Bill Clinton And former Secretary of State Hillary Clintonco-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates And Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Many of the interviews were conducted behind closed doors and the transcripts were released days later.
Appearing in the Justice Department’s Epstein files or before the committee is not necessarily an indication of criminal wrongdoing.
The report concludes that the facts revealed by the investigation do not suggest President Donald Trump was not involved in any of Epstein’s crimes. The report also accuses Democrats of launching an “unfounded witch hunt” by attempting to insinuate that Trump was involved in Epstein’s crimes.
Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 and later died in prison. Authorities determined his death to be a suicide.
Changing of the guard
In January, Democrats will take control of the House, and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) is expected to lead the committee. In a statement released Tuesday, Garcia called the report “partisan.”
“Republicans released a report based on an incomplete investigation and no public hearing on Jeffrey Epstein,” Garcia said. “We intend to hold real public hearings to edify survivors and ask tough questions of the powerful men associated with Epstein, including Donald Trump. Our work has only just begun.”
Trump has long maintained that he had fallen out with the disgraced financier before Epstein was indicted for soliciting prostitution in 2006. In February, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told NPR in a statement that “just as President Trump has said, he has been completely exonerated from anything related to Epstein.”
The report hands the next steps in the Epstein investigation to the DOJ, saying the agency must interview or re-interview witnesses and investigate crimes committed by Epstein’s associates. Maxwell is the only Epstein associate to be charged with a crime and sentenced to prison.
In JuneThe committee interviewed Sarah Kellen, a longtime aide to Epstein, who says she is also a survivor of his abuse. According to the committee’s report, Kellen revealed the names of two men in his transcribed testimony that the committee sent to the DOJ for further investigation. The DOJ has not announced any investigation into the men.
The report concludes that without the “failures” of federal prosecutors in South Florida and Washington, Epstein’s crimes after 2005 could have been avoided. Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14 long criticized as a “darling affair”. Epstein served 13 months in Palm Beach County Jail with a 12 hours of free work during the day. Additionally, he had to register as a sex offender.
ADD NAMES – Jeffrey Epstein victims are seated in the front row, from left, Liz Stein, Dani Bensky, Sky Roberts, brother of a victim, Amanda Roberts, sister-in-law of a victim and Lara Blume McGee, as Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Texas State Representative James Talarico speaks at an event in Dallas, Thursday, September 10, 2026.
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Jacquelyn Martin/AP
The report also said that Epstein’s “pervasive influence and extensive connections” shielded him from further investigation. After Gates appeared before the committee in JuneRep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, called Epstein a “friend collector.”
“He just loved having people around him who were important,” Burchett said.
The report also says the Trump Justice Department failed to adequately communicate the release of the Epstein files or protect the personal information of survivors. The exit took place after the passage of the Epstein Transparency Act in 2025 and the publication of millions of pages of documents. Large portions of the records have been redacted, but the identities of many survivors have been revealed.
Finally, the report concludes that some financial institutions failed to respond to indicators of human trafficking and immigration fraud, which enabled Epstein’s activities. He said the Treasury Department and its financial crime network should monitor whether financial institutions are meeting their reporting responsibilities.
In a statement released Tuesday, the DOJ said Attorney General Todd Blanche had repeatedly stated that “the Epstein case is not closed and there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking.”
“With all due respect, the Chairman’s recommendations have already been considered,” the DOJ statement said about committee Chairman James Comer. “The Department will continue to pursue all additional investigative leads regarding matters related to Jeffrey Epstein. Any victims with evidence and information are encouraged to contact the FBI.”
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein on March 28, 2017.
New York State Sex Offender Registry/via AP
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New York State Sex Offender Registry/via AP
What’s next?
Garcia promised that when the committee is under Democratic control, he will continue the investigation into Epstein with hearings open to the public.
Other Democrats, as well as some Republicans, continued to push for accountability of Epstein associates.
In September, the House of Representatives held Billionaire investor Leon Black for contempt of Congress for defying two congressional subpoenas. Between 2013 and 2017, Black paid millions of dollars to Epstein. Black said the money was intended for tax and estate planning services, and he has since sued the committee and Comer to invalidate the subpoenas. He then sued Garcia for defamation.
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