House Republicans' Epstein Report Faults Federal Failures; Democrats Call It Incomplete

The federal government failed for decades to stop Jeffrey Epstein as he abused young women and girls, despite growing evidence of his crimes, according to a report released Tuesday by Republicans on the House Oversight Committee.

The report followed a 15-month investigation that included 19 transcribed interviews with witnesses, among them some of Epstein's most powerful associates, plus reviews of financial records, Justice Department documents and files from Epstein's estate. "At nearly every stage, the cases reviewed by the Committee raise troubling questions about how Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who sexually abused and trafficked young women and girls, avoided accountability for so long," the committee majority wrote.

Republicans said Epstein targeted vulnerable young women, promising "career opportunities and comfort until the survivors of his crimes became completely dependent and subservient." They found "willful ignorance" that extended from his longtime lawyer, accountant and personal assistant to wealthy friends who, "in the face of numerous red flags," said they never suspected abuse. The committee interviewed billionaires Leon Black, Bill Gates and Les Wexner, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. All said they had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes. The report said the associates "offered inadequate explanations" for staying close to Epstein after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.

The report was sharply critical of the government. Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida state court in 2008 to two prostitution charges, including soliciting someone under 18. The report says that "sweetheart deal" let him avoid a broader federal case and may have stemmed from conflicts of interest at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. During a short stint in state custody he received extensive work release for what the committee called a "sham company," and several survivors said they were abused during that time.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee's top Democrat, said the report is "based on an incomplete investigation and zero public hearings." He said Democrats will hold "real public hearings uplifting survivors and asking tough questions of the powerful men who associated with Epstein, including Donald Trump," once they take control of Congress in January. "Our work is just getting started," he said.

Garcia said the Justice Department continues to "illegally withhold" over 2.5 million pages of documents, that there has been no investigation of Maxwell's transfer to a minimum-security facility days after Attorney General Todd Blanche, then deputy attorney general, interviewed her, and that Blanche has yet to testify about his role. Black recently sued Garcia, claiming defamation over statements about Black's relationship with Epstein.

The Republican recommendations include encouraging the Justice Department to open new investigations into people in Epstein's circle and passing legislation to prevent nondisclosure agreements from being used to silence survivors of sexual abuse.