The push for full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is a rare post-political moment in Washington where politics is everything.
In our governing system we have no authority higher than the president, Congress and the courts, except if you count the authority of voters. We the people — right, left and center — kept the pressure on, demanding the investigative material be open to the public.
I wrote in an earlier column that if the Epstein case were a Venn diagram — two opposite-view circles partially overlapping to form a common-view rectangle — it would represent the sense of outrage felt by many Americans, including MAGA Republicans and combative Democrats. I still believe this is true and a crucial moment.
There is a great deal of posturing right now about who will ultimately be the public relations loser when and if greater details about the crimes and perpetrators connected to Epstein are revealed.
Republicans claim this is a Democrat problem; Democrats see it exposing political trouble for President Trump and other prominent Republicans who friended Epstein at one time or another.
That could depend on how much of the material is redacted as “classified” by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who eagerly responded to Trump’s order to investigate prominent Democrat acquaintances of Epstein mentioned in the earlier partial release of documents by the House Oversight Committee.
Neither the president nor Bondi brought up investigating Trump’s association with Epstein even though it also appeared in the House documents.
I have absolutely no problem if the fuller release of the files is a problem for both parties. Embarrass them all. Anyone accused of violating underage girls trafficked by Epstein should be exposed.
Accountability and consequences are influential forces and, in this case, may act like a dose of disinfectant, finally highlighting and separating vile people from their perches of power.
There are reports of more than 200 young female victims of Epstein and his shielded and repulsive clients. Many of the victims have publicly come forward to demand redress.
With overwhelming approval by Congress and the president’s signature, let’s not up the ante with more games about what and when the public can access the Epstein files. Open the shades and let us all watch as the roaches crawl out of the cupboards.
If Bondi and the Justice Department follow the lead of most Americans, this will happen. If not, the scandal will remain at the forefront and continue to be a national distraction.
The final burial of Jeffrey Epstein may ultimately be a gift to the victims and to a wise and moral public who demand to know what went on with one of the creepiest jerks of our time.