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House Democrats Call for Epstein-Ties Special Counsel
· Confirmed
In Short: House Judiciary Committee Democrats are calling for an independent special counsel to investigate President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
House Judiciary Committee Democrats are calling for an independent special counsel to investigate evidence of President Donald Trump’s alleged criminal ties to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new report made public Monday.
Democrats argue that Trump was an 'active participant in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young women in the mid-to-late 1990s,' contradicting Trump’s previous statements that he had a falling-out with Epstein years ago and barred him from Mar-a-Lago.
Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, standing by his decision to bring charges against Trump over his mishandling of classified documents and role in the Jan. 6 attack.
Smith also told senators that he would not be silenced by continued threats of prosecution over his handling of the investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
Meanwhile, more than 170 House Democrats are demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) drop its investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar’s immigration history.
In a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the Democrats argue that the raid on Omar’s Washington, DC, residence and the investigation into her immigration history is akin to the 'weaponization' of the DOJ.
The Democrats’ call for a special counsel comes just over a week before the midterm elections, adding to the political pressure surrounding the investigation.
Former special counsel Jack Smith’s testimony and the Democrats’ demand for a special counsel highlight the ongoing legal and political challenges facing the Trump administration.
The implications of these investigations stretch far beyond the proposed Catholic shrine in Park Hills, Kentucky, and could shape religious land-use protections nationwide.
What's confirmed
- WASHINGTON — House Judiciary Committee Democrats are calling for an independent special counsel to investigate evidence of President Donald Trump’s alleged criminal ties to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new report made public Monday.
- LIVE NOW: Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee | NTD What would you like to watch today?
What's still developing
- The report also concludes that Trump and Paolo Zampolli, until recently a senior administration official and diplomat, may have been co-conspirators in Epstein's scheme.
- He has also repeatedly said that he had a falling-out with Epstein years ago and barred him from Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence, “for being a creep.” The Democratic lawmakers’ report also calls for greater federal cooperation in legal proceedings against Epstein’s accomplices and increased congressional action to uncover all possible connections within his sex trafficking network.
- First Liberty Senior Counsel Ryan Gardner explains to Fox News Digital why the Kentucky dispute could shape religious land-use protections nationwide.
- Vice President Sara Duterte, along with legal counsels, arrives at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, following the issuance of an arrest warrant against her over a grave threats case, on September 5, 2026.
- To substantiate his theory, Schmitt cited text messages he suggested showed Smith had been at an Atlanta Hawks game on February 3, 2024 – the day after Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade admitted to an affair.
- Bill Kristol talks with Nathaniel Zelinsky, the lead counsel challenging Trump’s efforts at the Kennedy Center, about the president’s demolition threats, the judge putting new limits on what the administration can do, and what happens if Trump simply refuses to obey a court order.
- “Messages involving personnel in Jack Smith’s Special Counsel Office (SCO) raise serious concerns about the Biden administration’s failure to properly secure classified materials,” Grassley wrote in a short letter to then-Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
- Congresswoman Beatty and Counsel Applaud Judge Cooper’s Ruling Blocking Kennedy Center Demolition WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Judge Christopher R.
- Following this ruling in Congresswoman Joyce Beatty’s (D-OH-03) favor, she and her counsel issued the following statements: “It is simply outrageous that we have gotten to the point of consistent judicial intervention to protect this historic institution from getting bulldozed by the President,” said Rep. Beatty.
- “We are grateful Judge Cooper is taking these escalating threats to the Kennedy Center seriously,” said Rep. Beatty’s counsel, Amb.
- “We will actively and aggressively investigate this case,” Jayapal said.
- "Donald Trump says he knew Jeffrey Epstein 'just like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,'" ranking committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said in a statement.