Democratic lawmakers have demanded the appointment of a special counsel to investigate President Donald Trump’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, just eight days before crucial US midterm elections.
House Judiciary Committee Democrats released a 53-page report on Monday that revived allegations of sexual misconduct against the Republican president, who once maintained a close friendship with the disgraced financier.
Report accuses Justice Department of cover-up
Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, accused the Justice Department of covering up “crimes to protect the president.”
“Five women have directly accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in Epstein’s company or presence,” Raskin said.
The report calls on Attorney General Todd Blanche to appoint an independent special counsel to investigate Trump’s ties to Epstein. Blanche previously served as Trump’s personal attorney.
Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges involving minors. Authorities ruled his death a suicide.
Epstein files show Trump’s name repeatedly
Trump fought for months to prevent the Department of Justice from releasing the so-called “Epstein Files” but eventually signed a law passed by Congress requiring their publication.
The 80-year-old president’s name appears repeatedly in the documents, though he denies any wrongdoing and faces no criminal charges connected to the affair.
“At a minimum, DOJ and FBI’s efforts to protect Trump rather than pursue justice require the appointment of an independent special counsel,” the House Judiciary Committee Democrats said in their report.
“This special counsel should be tasked with investigating not only the President but all of Epstein’s potential accomplices and co-conspirators.”
White House dismisses allegations as election tactics
The House Democrats acknowledged that the Justice Department under Blanche will likely refuse to “take even this minimal step.”
“Determined to protect the President at any cost, DOJ itself now leads the cover-up of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation,” they said. “Todd Blanche has gone from being Donald Trump’s personal attorney to his personal Attorney General.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed the report in a post on X, calling it “complete bullshit.”
ALSO READ: US government accused of major ‘cover-up’ over Trump sex abuse claims
“This is what the media and Democrats do right before every election cycle — peddle lies and ridiculous accusations against the President for political gain,” Cheung said. “The American people see right through this garbage.”
Democrats spend millions on Epstein-related ads
Democrats have reportedly spent more than $35 million on Epstein-related advertisements ahead of the 3 November elections, which will decide control of Congress.
Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell (64), remains the only person convicted of crimes connected to Epstein. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
A jury convicted Maxwell in 2021 of supplying underage girls to Epstein, whose ties to powerful business executives, politicians, celebrities and academics have fuelled years of scrutiny and conspiracy theories.
ALSO READ: New Epstein emails allege Trump ‘knew about the girls,’ sparks congressional action
