Top Republican claims 'nobody will ever believe it' when Epstein files are released
House Oversight Committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) worries that all the conspiracy theories surrounding deceased convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein will haunt and muddle any findings eventually released, according to Politico.
The Epstein saga, "which has helped derail the Republican congressional agenda and the opening year of Trump’s second term," "could also have implications for Comer’s own political ambitions — given his own belief that Americans’ minds might well be impervious to his panel’s conclusions," Politico says.
“I fear the report will be like the Warren Report,” Comer tells Politico. “Nobody will ever believe it.”
The Warren Report is the official 1964 document from the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President Kennedy and in the murder of Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit.
"Comer’s reference to the 1964 report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by Chief Justice Earl Warren underscores how the Epstein case has enthralled legions of skeptics who say the federal government is intent on protecting powerful men involved in the exploitation of young women and girls," Politico explains.
Epstein conspiracy theories primarily center on the suspicious circumstances of his 2019 death, ruled a suicide by hanging, in federal custody and the alleged existence of a powerful, protected sex-trafficking cabal involving global elites.
"“There’s so many conspiracy theories,” Comer says, with Politico noting that this admission leaves "unspoken that his reputation and legacy are now entwined with the case."
Shifting from his failed impeachment probe into President Joe Biden's family business dealings, Comey is front and center in the Epstein scandal, which could affect his potential bid for Kentucky governor.
"It’s the Epstein investigation that could determine Comer’s future in politics," Politico says.
Comer also says that "he remains hopeful the bank records he has subpoenaed will turn up something notable" following his recent demands for Epstein records from JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank.
He also asked the attorney general for the U.S. Virgin Islands, whose jurisdiction includes the two private islands that Epstein owned, for additional materials, Politico reports.
Comer says there are roadlocks to the investigation, including Epstein co-conspirator and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who has refused to cooperate with the Oversight Committee's questioning, Politico says.
"Comer said he has tasked Democratic and Republican women on the Oversight Committee to meet privately with victims to try to learn the identities of people complicit in Epstein’s criminal activities," Politico says.
But he still worries that the American people won't get what they want out of it.
"“If there is no Epstein list, and the American people expect us to compose an Epstein list, if we don’t get any names from the victims, it’s going to be hard to do,” he says.
Comer, who says he hasn't spoken to the White House about the Epstein probe, says there's one thing in this scandal for which he'd rather err on the side of ignorance.
When asked how he thinks Trump views the probe, Comer says, “I don’t want to know, probably.”
