In a rare moment of bipartisan harmony – and therefore a clear sign that something is terribly wrong – both the House and Senate voted Tuesday to force the Justice Department to release its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lawmakers celebrated the breakthrough with all the enthusiasm of people who suddenly remembered they, too, appear in photographs.
The bill, which had languished for months thanks to opposition from President Donald Trump and GOP leadership, surged forward after members realized that not voting for transparency now looked much worse than whatever the files might contain. One congressional aide, requesting anonymity and several antacids, said the shift came the moment “everyone noticed the public was paying attention.”
The Justice Department has not commented, though insiders say staff were last seen frantically reorganizing filing cabinets, shredders, and possibly passports.
