GOP leaders accused of 'quietly' supressing Epstein case with new tactic

Democrats are sounding the alarm on a new tactic that GOP leadership in the House is using to "quietly" suppress further inquiries into the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to a new report from Politico.

Speaking with the outlet for the Tuesday report, Democrats accused House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, of using "a new strategy" to "contain" the ability of lawmakers to issue subpoenas against "high-profile figures in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation." Before this, Politico noted that "Members of both parties have for months been hijacking House Oversight Committee business to call votes" on such subpoenas.

As the Epstein story escalated over the last year, a handful of Republicans broke with President Donald Trump to join Democrats in voting for these subpoenas, including one that led to testimony from former Attorney General Pam Bondi. This process was also used for "a surprise motion to release the full Epstein files when top congressional Republicans were dragging their feet."

"The Kentucky Republican’s workaround, they allege, is to hold 'roundtables' on various issues within the panel’s jurisdiction rather than hearings," the report explained. "Roundtables are more informal and don’t permit members to offer motions to subpoena witnesses during unrelated committee business, as is allowed during hearings."

Politico obtained a new memo prepared by Democratic Oversight staffers, outlining the complaints in detail and alleging that Republicans "are avoiding the only forum where Democrats can force votes, demand documents, and hold the majority accountable."

“We’ve heard from committee members, both Republicans and Democrats, that they are frustrated,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said in an interview Monday. “We have important investigative work, and they want to do this right as we are in the middle of this single, largest government cover-up in the modern history of the Congress. And they want to neuter the Oversight Committee. Give me a break.”

A representative for the GOP staff on the Oversight committee did not give an answer when pressed as to whether or not these roundtables were being used to decrease the number of subpoena votes.

“Roundtables provide opportunities to have more substantive and direct conversations with ordinary Americans about issues facing communities across the U.S.,” the spokesperson said.

"But the members’ subpoena free-for-all over the past nine months has undoubtedly created a complicated political dynamic for Comer," Politico detailed. "He has become the de facto leader of the congressional Epstein probe, forcing him to balance calls for transparency with the political fallout of Trump’s onetime relationship with the late, convicted sex offender. Republicans have noticed the connection between the spike in subpoenas and the subsequent increase in roundtables in lieu of hearings."

Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Wisconsin Republican, made an oblique reference to this trend and its purpose during a March roundtable meeting on mental health.

“It’s no secret why we are not doing a formal hearing today," the lawmaker said. "We’d like this hearing to be solely focused on the issue before you, and there is some concern that — both parties are guilty of this — that they make motions in the middle of the hearing and try to bring up unrelated topics.”

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