(NewsNation) — The Department of Justice will soon begin releasing records to Congress related to financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to the chair of the House Oversight Committee.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement the records would begin to be released to Congress on Friday and that it would take time for all the files to be delivered to the committee.
“There are many records in DOJ’s custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted,” he said.
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Comer had issued a subpoena to the DOJ for the records after President Donald Trump backtracked on promises to release the files.
During the campaign, Trump stoked conspiracy theories surrounding the case, including suspicions of those mentioned in the files and the theory that Epstein’s death was not a suicide.
An initial release of files to a small group of conservative influencers revealed little new information, and voters continued to call for more files to be made public.
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The Trump administration began to backpeddle on promises for transparency, with Trump lashing out at his supporters who questioned why he had not made good on his campaign pledge.
Members of Congress have also continued to call for the files to be released.
Comer has also subpoenaed Bill and Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Robert Mueller, William Barr, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales to give depositions relating to the investigation.
