House GOP candidates stay silent on releasing Epstein files

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to release Justice Department files related to the investigation of sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, but some Republicans who want to join Congress are staying mum on whether they would have voted the same way.

American Journal News asked Republican House candidates in Michigan, Iowa, and Ohio if they would have supported the measure. None provided on-the-record responses.

Inquiries were sent to MI-8 candidates Amir Hassan, MI-10 candidates Mike Bouchard Jr. and Robert Lulgjuraj, IA-2 candidates Joe Mitchell and Charlie McClintock, OH-9 candidates Josh Williams, Derek Merrin, and Alea Nadeem, and OH-1 candidate Eric Conroy.

President Donald Trump fought against releasing the files, but abruptly reversed course on Sunday night when it became clear House Republicans were going to back the effort regardless of his position.

Lulgjuraj implied in a social media post that he would have backed the measure as well, but also referred to the Epstein investigation as a “hoax” and suggested his support was contingent on what Trump wants.

“President Trump is right, time to end the distraction,” Lulgjuraj wrote. “Release it, get it over with, and let’s get back to fixing the economy. That’s what people care about. Enough with the hoaxes and political games.”

Williams was similarly dismissive of the Epstein scandal in a social media post from July, where he claimed it was being pushed by Democrats for purely political reasons.

“We won’t let the Left use a monster like Epstein to divide MAGA,” Williams wrote. “We’re winning—and we’re just getting started. The best is yet to come.”

It is widely speculated that Trump, who was a close friend of Epstein, is somehow implicated in the investigation. Reporter Michael Wolff claims Epstein kept photos of Trump cavorting with young, bikini-clad girls in his personal safe. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel refused to say if such photos exist when questioned by Senate Democrats.

Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 28 women. Last year, a court found him liable for sexual abuse in a civil suit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in 1996.

The Senate approved the House measure to release the Epstein files and Trump signed it. What happens next is unclear. Bondi and the Justice Department still have broad latitude over how many files are released and how heavily they are redacted.

Polling suggests that Lulgjuraj and Williams are out of step with most voters. A PBS/Marist survey from last month found that 61% of voters want all of the Epstein files released. Another 13% say the files should be partially released.

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019.