Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee released a report on Monday, October 26, demanding the appointment of a special counsel to investigate President Donald Trump's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The document, reported by RBC-Ukraine citing the American publication The Hill, contains claims from 11 women who, according to the report's authors, tied Trump to Epstein's crimes. Five of them, according to the text of the document, directly accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in the presence of Epstein or his associates.
Demand for Special Counsel and Accusations Against the Attorney General
The authors of the report insist that a special counsel must investigate not only Trump's possible involvement but also the actions of all Epstein co-conspirators in order to bring them to criminal justice. A separate section of the document is devoted to accusations against current Attorney General Todd Blanche, whom Democrats accuse of concealing evidence against the president. “Instead of seeking justice for Epstein's victims, former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Attorney General Blanche are running the Justice Department like a private law firm protecting their former client,” the report states. It is noted that Blanche served as Trump's personal lawyer prior to his appointment as Attorney General.
Trump and White House Reaction
Donald Trump has consistently denied any involvement in Epstein's crimes. He claims he was never close friends with him, never visited his island, and never flew on his plane. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis called the accusations in the report false and characterized the document itself as “a desperate attempt by crazy Democrats to distract Americans from growing Republican support.” According to her, Trump previously expelled Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort club because he was a “scumbag.” Ranking Democrat on the committee Jamie Raskin responded: “Donald Trump says he knew Jeffrey Epstein like everyone else in Palm Beach. Not quite. The evidence from 11 women tells a very different and much more serious story.”
Congressional Investigation and Other Figures
The congressional investigation involves a wide range of prominent figures. In June, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told the House committee that Epstein had blackmailed him with threats to release information about extramarital affairs. Trump's name has previously appeared multiple times in Epstein's files: declassified U.S. Justice Department documents, in particular, mentioned that Trump met a 14-year-old girl at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. At the same time, in February 2026, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi stated while testifying before the same committee that no evidence of Trump committing a crime existed.
Significance of the Report for the Political Agenda
The release of the report in late October 2026 increases pressure on the Trump administration ahead of domestic policy decisions regarding DOJ jurisdiction. The demand to appoint an independent special counsel, bypassing the current attorney general, effectively signifies Democrats' acknowledgment that they do not trust the department's current leadership. For Republicans, in turn, the document provides grounds to accuse opponents of politicizing the Epstein case. Thus, the dispute surrounding the report turns into another element of protracted confrontation between factions in the House, where each side interprets the exact same materials through the lens of its own political agenda.
