A group of House Democrats called on Monday for the appointment of an independent special counsel to investigate President Donald Trump’s alleged connections to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move comes amid the Democrats’ intensified efforts in the final week ahead of the midterm elections to hold Republicans accountable and regain control of Congress.
The request follows the release of a report prepared by Democratic aides to the House Judiciary Committee accusing Trump of being “an active participant in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young women.” The report relies primarily on previously reported allegations and does not present new evidence. Trump has consistently denied any involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking activities, acknowledging only that he was once acquainted with Epstein before their relationship soured. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
This development is separate from an ongoing House Oversight Committee investigation into the Epstein case. The timing of the report's release—just over a week before Election Day—aligns with Democrats’ broader campaign strategy to link Republican lawmakers to corruption and mismanagement, including alleged efforts to obstruct transparency in the Epstein investigation.
In recent weeks, Democratic candidates and party officials have highlighted Republican leaders’ initial resistance to releasing FBI and federal prosecutorial records related to Epstein’s activities. They have also pointed to controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s decision to transfer Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in his sex trafficking operation, to a minimum-security prison.
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, criticized the Justice Department’s handling of the case, asserting that it “deliberately withheld evidence” and engaged in a “cover-up” to shield the president from scrutiny.
The call for a special counsel underscores growing Democratic demands for a thorough inquiry into the extent of Trump’s relationship with Epstein and any potential wrongdoing, placing the issue at the forefront of the closing days of a contentious election season.