Democrats invoke rare Senate rule to force release of Epstein documents

https://www.axios.com/2025/07/30/democrats-epstein-documents-trump-justice-department

39 comments

  1. This article is paywalled, but all I can say is that it seems too good to be true.

  2. “The senators requested an answer from the DOJ by Aug. 15.” The answer from the DOJ will be “no.”

  4. >Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats announced Wednesday that they’ll use an obscure federal law known as the “Rule of Five” in an attempt to force the Justice Department to release more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

    >**Why it matters:** Congressional Democrats are trying to capitalize on the Epstein issue, which has dogged President Trump and opened fissures between him and some of his most ardent supporters.

    >**What they’re saying:** “Today’s letter matters,” Schumer said. “It’s not a stunt, it’s not symbolic. It’s a formal exercise of congressional power under federal law.”

    >Schumer said the request covers “all documents, files, evidence and other materials” in the Justice Department and FBI’s possession related to the case.

    >**The intrigue:** The “Rule of Five” law allows any five members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to request federal agencies to provide information about “any matter within the jurisdiction of the committee.”

    >The Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives can use the same law with a group of seven members.

    >**What we’re watching:** The senators requested an answer from the DOJ by Aug. 15.

  5. The article goes on to mention that there is no clear recourse for the administration simply ignoring this action.

    Edit: The articles been updated with clarification from Schumer that if the agencies ignore the request the Dems plan on taking it to court.

  6. Republicans invoke commonly used “we’re not going to comply“ tactic.

  7. I wish it wasn’t Schumer leading this effort. The man has bedsores from rolling over for republicans.

  8. Trump and the DOJ will definitively ignore this law as they have been ignoring and violating numerous federal laws.

    Democrats have no way to enforce this, unfortunately, because Trump will ignore a court order as well.

  9. After reading how Comer hasn’t issues the subpoenas for the files yet, this is welcome news. Figured Comer would slow walk it to protect the pedo in chief.

    The question now is if the DOJ will comply. Not 100% familiar with senate rules. This is the first time I’ve heard of the rule of five. But I think they would need republican help to hold the DOJ officials in contempt for not giving them the docs.

  10. The DOJ is going to ignore the request, and the members who signed off on the request will suddenly find themselves under investigation for “classified” reasons.

  11. We need someone to leak the files. That’s the only way it’s coming to light. Trump’s dream world has him buried with the files and the tomb sealed like King Tut’s.

  12. Democrats think Republicans are still playing the same game as they are.

    Republicans and this administration aren’t going to comply with such a request. The law and Constitution doesn’t mean anything to the Republican party. These things just get in their way.

    This strategy the Democrats are applying (to release the Epstein documents) will only work if the other side is playing the same game, but they are not.

    Edit: a word fix.

  13. Trump trafficed little girls through his pageants for clients.

  14. Reminder;:: Donald Trump is not merely a client, , but he will be proven to be one of the main players in the Trumpstein files. . Guaranteed.. ..

  15. all of this is making Trump look bad… but then so what? he’s still going to be President even if a handful of republicans break rank and impeach him. he’s never going to resign on his own, he’s never going to see any consequences for it

  16. “Oh, you did? Huh. Well, going to not release anything anyway.” ~Trump.

  18. Republicans invoke rare “I’m not listening! I’m not listening” rule to prevent release of Epstein files 🙉

  19. Ok so after months of people talking about the Dems breaking out McConnell-like tactics, they finally do, and still no one seems to be happy about it.

  20. You’re going to have to pry the files from trump’s tiny rapist hands.

    Which is a weird orange hill for an innocent man to die on, wouldn’t you think?

  22. You can start to tell which Democrats are not on the list. They’re the ones who are going to keep trying to release it, coz they can consolidate power in the ensuing vacuum. Hopefully they will use that power to give us healthcare instead of protecting deplorables.

  23. you guys feel that? 

    the feeling of impending disappointment?

  24. Why do they announce what they are gonna do instead of just doing it?

  25. Kash Patel has the uncut Epstein prison tape, what difference does this move by Dems make? Nothing.

  26. A lot of people saying they won’t comply. Correct, but then Dems can take it to court and drag this issue out longer. The more it’s talked about and the more the administration resists, the better.

  28. I wonder what would happen if someone dumped a completely digitized version of the Epstein files (including the elusive client list) onto the darkweb directly *after* Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony is broadcast?

  29. I know Democrats aren’t in power but when you aren’t in power you need to be like the most annoying little sibling the world has ever seen. Republicans do it like pros even when they are in power.

  31. “This just in, nothing happened!” Just like every other day folks. Clickbait journalism.

    Nothing will happen, nobody will be punished, and we will foot the bill. Evil wins, assholes will always get ahead and being a good person makes you a loser. Oh, and laws don’t matter if you don’t want them to, but only if you’re a rich pedo who openly bribes, extorts, and cheats brazenly in front of everyone.

    Its over, we can scream and rattle the cage all we want, but we are still in a cage. They are not. Because they built it, and we helped them.

    All the bullshit optimism they fed us was just to feed their own ego’s.

    I’m disgusted to be human at the moment.

  33. Trump was an incest craving human trafficker, pedophile, rapist with tiny hands who cheats at golf.
    Calling it.

  35. The timing of this is just the worst. Would be significantly better if it was July 2026, not July 2025. In a year most people will have forgotten this and talked themselves into voting for the party of pedophiles again.

  36. Donnie could destroy all evidence publicly and he could not be held responsible because the supreme court has granted him immunity for basicaly everything. Nothing (untampered) is going to be released.

  37. From the article:

    “Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats announced Wednesday that they’ll use an obscure federal law known as the “Rule of Five” in an attempt to force the Justice Department to release more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

    Why it matters: Congressional Democrats are trying to capitalize on the Epstein issue, which has dogged President Trump and opened fissures between him and some of his most ardent supporters”

  38. If the GOP follows through I will eat an entire box of partridge feathers.

  39. I feel like I’ve seen so many headlines these past few weeks of “Dems force this” or “Dems invoke rule to force a vote” or something, only to check the news the next day to the Republicans blocking whatever was “forced”

    Tell me when shit starts finally happening please

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