U.S. House Oversight Committee issues subpoenas for Jeffrey Epstein files

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Tuesday issued subpoenas to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and several high-profile figures, demanding records related to deceased American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the Trump administration is under mounting pressure to release the files.

Nearly two weeks after a House subcommittee voted to demand the Justice Department release its files, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer formally authorized the subpoenas. Under House rules, Comer was obligated to issue the subpoenas, and no full vote was required, according to media reports.

In one of the 11 subpoenas formally issued on Tuesday, the DOJ was given until Aug. 19 to comply and produce all records related to Epstein and his incarcerated accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

In addition to requesting the Epstein files, the chairman also subpoenaed documents and testimony from multiple prominent individuals connected to Epstein's investigations or past associations.

The House subcommittee's requests are likely to intensify pressure on the Trump administration, which is already facing criticism for withholding documents related to previous investigations, according to media reports.

Epstein, who had extensive connections with U.S. political and business elites, was arrested on sex crime charges and died in prison in August 2019, which was officially ruled a suicide.