The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to sign legislation compelling the Justice Department to release all unclassified records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his network.
The bill, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), requires that the DOJ make “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” publicly available within 30 days of the president’s signature, in a searchable, downloadable format.
The House overwhelmingly approved the measure earlier this week, triggering immediate Senate consideration under a fast-track agreement between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). No Republican senator objected, and the bill sailed through without amendment or recorded opposition.
“It should pass as written and without a hint of delay,” Schumer said on the floor. “Any amendment to this bill would force it back to the House and risk further delay. Who knows what would happen over there?”
The legislation’s passage brings to a close months of partisan wrangling in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had tried to postpone or modify the measure amid concerns over victim privacy and ongoing investigations. Lawmakers ultimately bypassed leadership through a discharge petition, forcing a floor vote that produced rare bipartisan unity.
Trump — who for months had opposed public release of the Epstein materials — abruptly reversed course on Sunday night, calling on House Republicans to “vote yes” and declaring on Truth Social that “we have nothing to hide.” On Monday, he confirmed he would sign the measure, telling reporters: “Sure I would. The Democrats were Epstein’s friends, all of them. It’s a hoax, the whole thing is a hoax. But I’ll sign it.”
Following the House vote, Trump posted a statement hailing the legislation and touting broader Republican achievements.
“I don’t care when the Senate passes the House Bill, whether tonight, or at some other time in the near future, I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the victories that we’ve had,” Trump wrote, listing accomplishments including closed borders, lower inflation, record-low regulation, and what he called “a huge defeat to the Democrats on the shutdown.”
Once signed, the Justice Department will have 30 days to release Epstein’s non-classified files, with redactions allowed to protect victims’ identities. The release is expected to include FBI investigation summaries, witness statements, financial transactions, and communications with Epstein’s known associates, including those who have previously denied wrongdoing.
The vote came as political fallout over the Epstein probe continues to ripple through Washington. House Republicans this week released an internal memo accusing Democrats of “twisting” aspects of the investigation to smear Trump and selectively leaking emails to create a false narrative.
“Unfortunately, during this investigation, Oversight Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA), have intentionally mischaracterized witness testimony and selectively released information with targeted redactions in an effort to create another hoax involving President Trump,” the memo said.
Committee Republicans emphasized that none of the 23,000 documents obtained from the Epstein estate implicate Trump in wrongdoing, citing depositions from former Attorney General Bill Barr, who testified that Trump “did not participate or know about the nature of Epstein’s crimes.”
The memo also accused Democrats of redacting the name of Virginia Giuffre, the late Epstein accuser who publicly stated she never witnessed any misconduct by Trump. Republicans say those omissions were designed to distort the context of Epstein’s communications.
Meanwhile, the Senate’s swift approval underscored the political momentum behind transparency after weeks of turmoil in the House. Thune, who managed the bill’s hotline process, said it represented “a clear bipartisan consensus” that victims and the public deserve full disclosure.
“We’ll see what the Democrats have to say,” Thune said earlier in the week, predicting the bill would pass by unanimous consent. “It’s the kind of thing that could move without objection.”
The measure did, however, draw some criticism from activists and transparency advocates who argued that it stops short of full disclosure.
“Disgusting is the wording in the bill that only releases unclassified records,” conservative pundit Brian McNally posted on X. “Today was political theater.”