House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Friday that he advocates for “full transparency” in the Jeffrey Epstein case, as the Trump administration encounters increasing pressure, including from within the Republican Party, to disclose further information regarding the late convicted sex offender.
“We desire full transparency. We want everyone who is in any way connected to the Epstein atrocities — let’s refer to it as it was — to be brought to justice as swiftly as possible. We want the full force of the law upon them,” Johnson expressed in an interview with CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett on Wednesday.
“It’s not a hoax. Certainly not,” Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, remarked in response to a term that President Trump has employed to characterize the case.
However, Johnson noted that he had “never seen the Epstein evidence; it was not within my purview.”
The Trump administration has endured weeks of public examination regarding its management of the Epstein case, following the release of a Justice Department and FBI review into the federal investigations of the disgraced financier.
The review determined that there was no evidence indicating Epstein had a damaging “client list” or that he attempted to blackmail prominent individuals. It also concluded that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in federal custody, awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges in New York.
Since that time, mainstream media has largely sustained the narrative, providing daily updates despite the fact that, during the four years of Joe Biden’s presidency, there was minimal mention of the late financier, let alone any calls for his “client list.”
Johnson and other Republican leaders have resisted attempts to compel a floor vote on the release of materials related to Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier this week, Johnson accused Democrats of participating in “political games” by advocating for a vote, as reported by CBS News.
In light of the increasing controversy surrounding the Epstein files, Johnson unexpectedly concluded the House’s work week, allowing lawmakers to return home early for the summer recess. The House was originally set to remain in session until Thursday but instead adjourned on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Johnson expressed to CBS News, “I share the same concerns and questions that many individuals have.”
Simultaneously, at Trump’s instruction, the Justice Department requested last week that federal courts unseal grand jury testimonies related to the criminal investigations involving Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
A federal judge in Florida rejected a request to disclose grand jury materials from the early 2000s investigations into Epstein, which concluded without any federal charges. Separate requests to unseal documents from the more recent cases against Epstein and Maxwell in New York are still pending and may require additional time for resolution.
This week, Maxwell underwent approximately nine hours of questioning with the Justice Department over two days after being granted limited immunity, as reported by sources familiar with the situation.
According to sources who spoke to ABC News, Maxwell was the one who initiated contact and meetings with the Trump DOJ. The immunity agreement permitted Maxwell to answer questions from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche without the concern that her responses could be used against her in the future, as the sources informed the outlet.
This type of arrangement, referred to as proffer immunity, is frequently offered to individuals whom prosecutors are considering as potential cooperators in ongoing criminal investigations. Maxwell has already faced trial, been convicted, and sentenced for sex trafficking underage girls.
The report indicated that a second meeting with Maxwell on Friday lasted approximately three hours.
Following that second meeting, Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, informed ABC News, “There have been no requests and no guarantees.”
Markus stated that Maxwell was interrogated regarding “approximately 100 different individuals” during her meeting with the deputy attorney general, and that she responded to each question without exception. He further remarked: “She did not withhold any information.”
He refrained from disclosing details about the individuals Maxwell was questioned about or whether she provided information concerning others who might have allegedly perpetrated crimes against victims, as Blanche had suggested he was investigating.