President Trump might be tired of hearing about it, but House Speaker Mike Johnson is urging the Department of Justice to release all remaining records related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose 2019 death in federal custody continues to fuel public suspicion and political scrutiny.
The Louisiana Republican emphasized the need for transparency. “It’s a very delicate subject, but you should put everything out there, let the people decide it,” Johnson said, according to Politico.
The Speaker’s remarks come amid renewed controversy over the Trump administration’s recent decision to withhold additional details about Epstein’s death. While the DOJ and FBI maintain there is “no evidence that Epstein had a list of clients or was murdered in his jail cell,” the administration’s position has frustrated key allies of President Trump, including members of Congress and former senior adviser Elon Musk, who have criticized the continued secrecy surrounding the case.
The comments come as the Justice Department found itself in drama last over Epstein’s files. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has allegedly became so furious over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the records that he threatened to quit.
The issue escalated further after House Republicans blocked a Democratic-led vote on Tuesday that would have pushed the White House to declassify Epstein-related materials. Democrats characterized the move as an effort to stonewall public access to crucial information.
Johnson also addressed growing questions about Attorney General Pam Bondi’s earlier statements regarding the existence of a high-profile document tied to the Epstein investigation. In February, Bondi told Fox News that materials linked to the case were “sitting on my desk right now.” But during a Cabinet meeting earlier this month, she clarified: “My response was, it’s sitting on my desk to be reviewed. Meaning the file, along with the JFK and MLK files.”
Johnson defended Bondi while calling for clarification. “I think she was talking about documents, as I understood that were on her desk. I don’t know that she was specific about a list or whatever, but she needs to come forward and explain that to everybody,” he said.
President Trump also weighed in Tuesday, standing by Bondi during a press briefing. “The attorney general has handled that very well. She’s really done a very good job, and I think that when you look at that, you’ll understand it,” he said.
Emphasizing a desire to resolve the matter and refocus DOJ efforts, Johnson added, “We need the DOJ focusing on the major priorities. Let’s get this thing resolved so that they can deal with violent crime and public safety and election integrity and going after ActBlue and the things that the president is most concerned about.”
[Read More: Biden Money Poured In To Groups Now Fighting ICE]
