The Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to develop. U.S. lawmakers have been pressing vigorously for transparency and accountability over the lack of relevant documents in his case. Epstein’s conviction came from his solicitation of prostitution from an underaged girl. For years he was able to work with impunity because he was insulated by his powerful connections. He succumbed in jail, awaiting trial, in August of 2019. This raised more questions than ever about his wide-ranging network and its impact on influential people, including former President Donald Trump.
Epstein’s crimes gained significant public attention during Trump’s presidency, leading to renewed scrutiny of his relationships with individuals such as Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell, Epstein’s former madam/girlfriend, was recently convicted of sex trafficking for procuring minor girls for Epstein to rape and control. This failure to publicly connect dots has generated pressure for transparency in the ongoing investigations and for the Justice Department’s processing of potentially incriminating evidence.
The Epstein case comes with a huge wave of public interest and urgency. Since coming into office on January 20th, 2017, the Trump administration has not delivered those promised files to release the investigation, going back on its pledge. Worse still, at least 16 of these files had allegedly vanished from the Justice Department’s public website. Included in the withheld documentation were photos showing Trump with then First Lady Melania Trump, paired with Epstein and Maxwell.
On Friday, the Justice Department made additional records public. In order to protect the identities of the victims central to this case, they withheld a great number of documents. This limited release did little to assuage lawmakers and advocacy groups, who remain understandably frustrated that no full, complete disclosure was made.
U.S. House of Representatives member Ro Khanna and Kentucky Republican congressional representative Thomas Massie are leading the charge. They were seeking every possible avenue after the deadline went by without full release of files. Lack of their files has caused tremendous alarm over possible obstruction of justice.
Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told NPR that this is the biggest disaster scenario.
“The expectation is that the [Justice Department] enforces the law – and that they therefore follow the law,” – Neama Rahmani.
In theory, Congress could use its power to hold officials accountable for obstructing justice. Rahmani acknowledged it might be difficult to do so.
“It’s theoretically possible, but practically it’s not going to happen,” – Neama Rahmani.
Eric Faddis, an experienced legal hand with the Center for American Progress, details the likely consequences in store for key players in the obstruction of justice saga.
“They may be subject to federal criminal prosecution for obstruction of Congress, concealment of records, or evidence tampering,” – Eric Faddis.
As public scrutiny increases, so does the discussion about accountability. Blanche, a survivor and advocate for victims’ rights, warned about the ramifications of keeping information under wraps.
“Imagine if we had released tons of information around victims,” – Blanche.
She went on to say holding any less accountable is the greater injustice.
“That would be the true crime. That would be the true wrong,” – Blanche.
The investigation that continues today has serious, fundamental implications for ensuring accountability among the highest levels of government. While some lawmakers push for transparency, others remain skeptical about whether they can compel compliance from those potentially obstructing justice.