In a notable divergence from President Donald Trump's narrative, House Speaker Mike Johnson has openly refuted the notion that the Jeffrey Epstein case is a hoax. During a Wednesday interview with CBS News' Major Garrett, Johnson underscored his commitment to "full transparency" concerning the investigations surrounding the disgraced financier.
"We want full transparency. We want everybody who is involved in any way with the Epstein evils — let's call it what it was — to be brought to justice as quickly as possible," Johnson stated, making it unequivocally clear that he does not share the President's view of the case as fabricated. "It’s not a hoax. Of course not," he added, directly challenging Trump's previous characterizations.
Despite his firm stance, Johnson conceded that he has not personally examined the Epstein case files, acknowledging, "I’ve never seen the Epstein evidence, it was not in my lane." Nevertheless, his assertive tone indicated a strong condemnation of any attempts to diminish the gravity of Epstein's crimes or his connections.
The Trump administration has faced intensifying scrutiny regarding the Epstein files following a recent Justice Department and FBI review. This review concluded that there was no evidence of a secret "client list" or blackmail attempts by Epstein and reaffirmed his 2019 suicide while in custody awaiting trial for child sex trafficking charges.
The Epstein narrative has resurfaced in the media spotlight in recent weeks after being largely overlooked during President Joe Biden's term. The media's reticence on the topic, including the release of Epstein's "client list," has been a point of contention.
Some Republicans, including Johnson, have resisted calls to bring a floor vote to mandate the release of the remaining Epstein documents. Earlier in the week, Johnson accused Democrats of engaging in "political games" with the issue.
In an unexpected move, Johnson concluded the House's work week prematurely, adjourning a day before the scheduled summer recess. The House was expected to continue sessions through Thursday but instead wrapped up on Wednesday.
Johnson reiterated his shared concerns with the public to CBS News, expressing the widespread demand for answers in the Epstein saga.
In a recent development, Trump's Justice Department has requested federal courts to unseal grand jury testimony from the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigations. However, a Florida judge denied the release of material from the early 2000s investigation, which concluded without federal charges. Other requests for unsealing documents in more recent New York cases are still pending.
Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell, who has been convicted and sentenced for trafficking underage girls, reportedly underwent two days of questioning with the Justice Department under a limited immunity deal. The sessions, totaling around nine hours, were initiated by Maxwell with the Trump administration, allowing her to speak with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche without fear of self-incrimination.
Following the second meeting, Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, informed ABC News that there were "no asks and no promises" made by the Justice Department. Markus confirmed that Maxwell was forthcoming, answering a wide array of questions, though he did not reveal the specifics of the inquiry or whether new criminal targets were identified.
