A group of House Democrats on Monday called for the appointment of an independent special counsel to investigate former President Donald Trump’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. The move reintroduced the issue during the final week of Democrats’ efforts to regain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.

The call came alongside the release of a report prepared by Democratic staff members on the House Judiciary Committee. The report accuses Trump of being “an active participant in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young women,” though it primarily relies on previously publicized allegations. Trump has consistently denied any involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking operations. While he has acknowledged a past friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, Trump states that the two had a major falling out.

This report is separate from a broader House Oversight Committee investigation into Epstein’s activities. Its release comes just eight days before Election Day, as candidates nationwide intensify their final campaign efforts. Democrats have sought to highlight allegations of Republican corruption, framing it as a factor detrimental to American taxpayers and pledging to rigorously investigate the president if they regain a congressional majority.

Democrats on the campaign trail and in advertising have tied congressional Republicans to Epstein by pointing out party leaders’ initial resistance to releasing FBI and prosecutorial records related to the Epstein case. They have also criticized the Trump administration for its decision to relocate Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, to a minimum-security facility.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, stated that the Department of Justice had “deliberately withheld evidence” and appeared to be “covering up these crimes to protect the president.” The allegations and demands for an independent investigation come amid ongoing scrutiny of how Epstein’s network was managed and whether political influence affected the course of justice.