By Dan Murphy
Both of Westchester’s Congress members voted yes to release the DOJ and FBI files on Jeffrey Epstein on Nov. 19. Democrat George Latimer and Republican Mike Lawler joined almost every member of the House in voting yes to release the files to the public.
After the vote, Latimer said, “By a vote of 427-1, the House has voted a resolution to have the Epstein files released to the public. President Trump could have released the files at any time; he didn’t need an act of Congress.
“This is the first time an overwhelming voice of the people wanted to know exactly what type of information was used to convict Jeff Epstein back in 2018-19, and who those people were involved in these illegalities.
“We believe people should know, and we have believed that for a long time. Finally, the majority side of the aisle believes the same thing.
“We think it’s essential that people understand and know exactly what happened and who was involved. Today was a step for transparency -and also a step for doing right by the people who were violated. They, too, deserve fairness and justice,” said Rep. Latimer.
Congressman Lawler said, “Justice for the victims of these senseless crimes should never be a bargaining chip. Protecting the dignity and privacy of survivors must remain a top priority, and lawmakers, the media, and the public all have that responsibility after today’s vote.
“The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has spent months reviewing tens of thousands of documents tied to this case. Anyone who participated in, enabled, or covered up the heinous crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell must be held fully accountable.
“By passing this bill, Congress is ensuring full transparency and giving the American people the truth they asked for. The Department of Justice must pursue justice wherever the evidence leads,” said Rep. Lawler.
