Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina says she plans to seek testimony from several people whose names appear in newly reviewed Justice Department files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
On Monday, the Department of Justice began allowing members of Congress to review unredacted versions of roughly 3 million Epstein-related records it has made public since late last year. Lawmakers have been able to view the materials only under strict supervision at a satellite office in Washington, D.C. After reviewing some of the files, several members reported new details about Epstein and his associates and said the department had made what they described as unnecessary redactions—changes they argue could conflict with the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed into law by President Donald Trump in November.
Mace visited the DOJ facility on Tuesday and said she still could not access what she called “critical information.” She claimed key documents were “missing or still redacted,” and said the presence of certain names in the materials raises questions that warrant congressional testimony.
“After today’s review of the Epstein files at the DOJ, I have a list of names I will be requesting the House Oversight Committee invite to testify and, if necessary, subpoena. I have questions,” Mace wrote on X. In a follow-up post, she added that the list was “longer … than I had anticipated.”
Why It Matters
Since being compelled to do so in December, the DOJ has released about 3 million of the roughly 6 million pages of Epstein-related evidence in its possession. Recent disclosures that include prominent names have triggered political fallout and inquiries in Norway and the United Kingdom, and have intensified scrutiny in the United States as well. Being named in the files does not, by itself, indicate criminal wrongdoing, but the releases have renewed calls for accountability from anyone who knew about—or may have participated in—Epstein’s crimes.
What To Know
Mace is among a group of Republican women in Congress who have pressed for more transparency and for justice for Epstein’s victims.
“We know Epstein had business connections in South Carolina. We need the full picture,” Mace wrote before her review. “I don’t care how powerful, how rich, how famous someone is. Justice WILL BE SERVED.”
Other lawmakers who have visited the DOJ review facility include Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California and Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who helped lead the congressional effort to release the files. At a news conference on Monday, Khanna and Massie said their brief review revealed six “powerful” individuals whose names had been redacted in the Justice Department’s initial release; Khanna later read the names aloud on the House floor.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland said he viewed a document that could undermine Trump’s claim that he barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in the mid-2000s.
Mace has not publicly released her list of individuals she wants the House Oversight Committee to call. However, she posted a screenshot of an article about her support for subpoenaing Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and wrote, “One of the richest men in the world doesn’t get to dodge questions about Epstein.”
Lawmakers have also called for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—formerly Prince Andrew before losing his royal titles—to appear before Congress. Mace has previously supported holding former President Bill Clinton in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a House Oversight Committee subpoena tied to his connections to Epstein.
What People Are Saying
Mace wrote on X: “America’s justice system has two tiers. One for the rich and powerful. One for the rest of us. I will die on this hill fighting for truth and justice. I don’t care if it costs me personally, professionally, or politically. There are more of us than there are of them. And we’re not backing down.”
What Happens Next
Lawmakers say they will continue reviewing the unredacted records, a process Raskin described as likely to be “extremely time consuming and painstaking.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, with the hearing expected to focus on the department’s handling of the Epstein case.
