House Speaker Mike Johnson broke ranks with President Donald Trump this week, pushing back on Trump’s suggestion that the Jeffrey Epstein case is a hoax.
In a Wednesday interview with CBS News’ Major Garrett, Johnson emphasized his support for “full transparency” in all matters related to the disgraced financier.
Johnson stated, “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.”
He made it clear that, in his view, the Epstein matter is not fabricated. “It’s not a hoax. Of course not,” Johnson said, directly rebutting Trump’s previous use of the term to describe the case.
However, Johnson acknowledged that he has not personally reviewed any of the Epstein case files. “I’ve never seen the Epstein evidence, it was not in my lane,” he admitted.
Despite that, his firm tone indicated strong disapproval of any attempts to downplay the severity of Epstein’s crimes or connections, according to the Conservative Brief.
Trump’s administration has faced growing pressure regarding the Epstein files following a recent review by the Justice Department and FBI.
This review found no evidence of a secret “client list” or blackmail attempts by Epstein. It also reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for child sex trafficking.
Despite the conclusions of the report, the Epstein story has regained media attention in recent weeks. The media largely avoided the topic during President Joe Biden’s term, with little mention of the case or calls to release Epstein’s “client list.”
Some Republicans, including Johnson, have opposed efforts to bring a floor vote to compel release of the remaining Epstein documents. Earlier in the week, Johnson accused Democrats of playing “political games” with the issue, as reported by CBS News.
In a sudden move, Johnson ended the House’s work week early, sending lawmakers home for summer recess a day ahead of schedule. The House was originally expected to stay in session through Thursday but adjourned Wednesday instead.
Johnson reiterated to CBS News, “I have the same concern and question that a lot of people do,” referring to public demand for answers in the Epstein saga.
In a recent development, Trump’s Justice Department has asked federal courts to unseal grand jury testimony from the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigations. A Florida judge denied the release of material from the early 2000s probe, which ended without federal charges.
Other unsealing requests concerning more recent cases in New York remain undecided. These may take more time to resolve, depending on judicial review and legal obstacles.
Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly sat for two days of questioning with the Justice Department. The sessions, totaling roughly nine hours, occurred under a limited immunity deal.
According to ABC News, Maxwell herself initiated the meetings with the Trump administration. The immunity arrangement allowed her to answer questions from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche without fear of self-incrimination.
Maxwell has already been convicted and sentenced for trafficking underage girls. The new meetings suggest federal investigators may be exploring additional leads or potential co-conspirators.
Following the second meeting, which lasted about three hours, Maxwell’s lawyer, David Markus, told ABC News there had been “no asks and no promises” from the Justice Department.
Markus added that Maxwell answered every one of possibly “100 different” questions, stating she “didn’t hold anything back.” He did not disclose whom she was questioned about or if any new criminal targets were named.
