Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, urged his colleagues Wednesday to “demand answers” regarding the late Jeffrey Epstein, as President Trump has repeatedly tried to tamp down the public fixation on the convicted sex offender’s case.
“It’s obvious to the American public, someone is lying, and someone is trying to hide something,” Garcia said on the House floor Wednesday. “The truth is we don’t know what the facts are in this case.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a memo last week that it concluded in its investigation that Epstein didn’t have a “client list” and ruled he died by suicide in 2019, after Trump supporters have spent years speculating about his case.
The president on Wednesday ripped supporters who have pressed for more information about documents related to Epstein.
“Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bulls‑‑‑,’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.”
“Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore!” he added.
Garcia, while speaking for roughly three minutes during a session in the chamber open to various topics, propped up a giant photo of Epstein and Trump from decades ago. He detailed the president’s prior statements about the disgraced financier and comments made by key members of his administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, about his case.
“Now, I can’t explain why the Trump administration have changed their minds on Epstein, but their behavior raises questions,” the California Democrat said. “This is the time that we must demand answers, and the Oversight Committee is going to do just that.”
Despite the threat, Democrats on the top investigative panel do not have the ability to subpoena people on their own as the House has a GOP majority.
Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.)’s office didn’t immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
Separately, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee has also pressed for a hearing.
“President Trump and his top appointees at the DOJ and FBI have spent years advancing theories that ‘the Deep State’ has been suppressing the true magnitude of the child sex trafficking and abuse ring created by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates,” Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) wrote in a letter to Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
“The Trump DOJ and FBI’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein matter, and President Trump’s suddenly shifting positions, have not restored anyone’s trust in the government but have rather raised profound new questions about their own conduct while increasing public paranoia related to the investigation,” he added.
