California Republicans want to see more details about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s activities — but there’s an asterisk.

“I fully support releasing any documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, but it must be done in a way that protects his victims and doesn’t compromise any ongoing investigations,” Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, told The Bee.

“Names of victims should remain confidential, and our focus should be on delivering justice for them and holding every accomplice accountable,” he said.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Chico, had similar thoughts.

“The longer it hangs out there, it’s causing more questions than probably anybody wants to see happening. Ultimately we have to get to it,” he told The Bee. “The public’s going to want to know.”

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, had a quick response: “Release it.”

California has nine House Republicans (and 43 Democrats), and three are members of the House Judiciary Committee, which writes legislation on crime and justice matters and is a watchdog on the Justice Department.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” said Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, of the Epstein matter.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, said he wants as much transparency as possible.

He favored a House vote on the nonbinding resolution saying files should be released, a vote that hasn’t happened and won’t until at least September. When asked for comment, Kiley’s office directed The Bee to a CNN interview from the weekend.

“I think it’s important that we approach this issue with the seriousness and sensitivity it deserves,” Kiley said at the time.

He was critical of Democrats, saying, “I don’t like the way that some have turned this into a political piñata.”

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-San Diego, told The Bee he saw a need for transparency but was concerned about releasing grand jury testimony.

“We’ve established that Epstein provided an audience of people on the left and the right who had nothing to do with his nefarious activity, in addition to those who did,” Issa said. “I have no objections to those who are criminally charged or in some other way fully implicated.”

A federal judge Wednesday rejected a Trump administration bid to release grand jury testimony related to the Epstein case.

“Opening up grand jury testimony in files that would have collateral damage to people who were innocent doesn’t make any sense,” Issa said. “I think people in both parties know better than that.”

“Would I like to see some of it made public like everything else, absolutely. But if we make it all public we breach a lot of the history of grand jury testimony and so on being not made public,” he added.

Democrats protest

The judiciary committee’s Democrats have pressed for hearings that would include Trump administration officials sharing what they know about the case involving the convicted sex offender. Epstein committed suicide in prison six years ago.

“We must submit to public scrutiny President Trump’s and MAGA’s longstanding claims about the ‘Epstein files,’ new questions as to whether President Trump himself has something to hide, whether he is keeping damaging information secret to protect other individuals or to maintain future blackmail leverage over public and private actors,” committee Democrats wrote Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, last week.

Among the signers were California committee members Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, Eric Swalwell, D-Castro Valley, Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, Luis Correa, D-Santa Ana and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Los Angeles.

The House abruptly began its summer recess Wednesday evening, a day earlier than scheduled, as GOP leaders balked at efforts from Republicans and Democrats to press the Justice Department to make public government documents regarding Epstein.

Democrats were furious.

“Shutting down the House to hide the Epstein files is a betrayal of people who simply want the truth,” tweeted Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Santa Clara. “This is why people are so cynical about Washington.”

Conspiracy theories

Since Epstein committed suicide while in prison, conspiracy theories have proliferated among conservatives, including suspicions that he did not commit suicide and that there was a client list with prominent names.

But earlier this month, the Justice Department and FBI concluded there was “no incriminating ‘client list,’” and Epstein did commit suicide.

The controversy has detonated a split between Trump supporters. For some time, they promoted the idea that Epstein’s associates and co-conspirators were on a list, and eagerly awaited the administration releasing documents that helped prove their suspicions about who was included.

The controversy reached a fever pitch when former ally and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk wrote in a now-deleted X post that Trump “is in the Epstein files” in June.

But Trump in recent weeks pulled back from promises to release material on Epstein, who was said to be a longtime friend. The Washington Post reported that the two men became estranged after controversy over a property dispute in 2004.

On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s name appeared multiple times in documents related to Epstein, according to senior officials in the Trump administration.

While not knowing the details of any Trump and Epstein relationship, LaMalfa said, “these guys in New York all know each other.”

“I guess to whatever extent things go on is a different deal,” he said. “I get pictures with people, I don’t know who they are.”

Issa noted that “This is not about Trump. This is not about Bill Clinton (another subject of rumors). It should not be about anyone not charged with a crime.”

As House Republicans were unable to agree how to proceed, party leaders decided to send lawmakers home a day early.

“What we refuse to do is participate in another one of the Democrats’ political games,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, of Louisiana, told reporters. This is a serious matter. The Democrats are trying to play gotcha politics right now.”

Republican questions

There’s been slow but steady movement from Republicans to force more transparency, moves that will now be delayed until at least Sept. 2, when the House is scheduled to reconvene.

A House Oversight and Reform subcommittee, controlled by Republicans, voted Tuesday to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend. She was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and is now serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., was the key mover behind the effort, saying it “will help the American people understand how Jeffrey Epstein was able to carry out his evil actions for so long without being brought to justice.” The Justice Department is seeking to interview Maxwell, a decision made before the subpoena vote.

Trump last week said grand jury transcripts related to the Maxwell and Epstein cases should be released. Attorney General Pam Bondi asked a federal judge to release the transcripts but he refused Wednesday to do so.

But Democrats and Republicans in the House were considering ways Tuesday to force a vote on releasing more Epstein files. Some Republican members of the House Rules Committee, whose members are chosen largely for their loyalty to the speaker, suggested there should be votes on releasing Epstein-related documents.

Tuesday, as controversy grew in the halls of Congress, Republican leaders instead decided to send members home rather than go on the record with floor votes related to the matter.

“There’s no purpose for the Congress to push an administration to do something they’re already doing,” Johnson said.

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