Epstein’s Crimes Could Have Been Prevented, House Oversight Report Says

A new House report details the federal government’s decades-long failure to hold convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein accountable.

The report, released Tuesday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, says that crimes committed by Epstein after 2005 could have been prevented if not for failures by federal investigators and prosecutors, and it specifically faulted the Trump administration’s Justice Department for not sufficiently protecting survivors.

“Epstein operated with impunity, shielded and enabled by powerful connections and a justice system that repeatedly failed his victims,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement. “Governments at every level and powerful institutions must meet their legal obligations to identify these crimes, stop perpetrators, and deliver justice for survivors.”

After the Epstein Files Transparency Act was enacted in 2025, the Justice Department didn’t adequately communicate with Congress about the release of documents to the public, the report says.

“Despite extraordinary efforts undertaken by DOJ staff to expedite the release of EFTA records, questions remain as to whether the DOJ has released all relevant documents,” the report says. “Moreover, given the speed with which EFTA records were released, several instances of deficient redaction exposed sensitive information of survivors.”

Epstein died in a federal prison in New York in 2019 in what government officials determined was a suicide. Understaffing and systemic dysfunction at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons allowed the death to occur, the report says.

Epstein and business partner Ghislaine Maxwell facilitated the recruitment, control, and abuse of young women, while Epstein cultivated relationships with prominent individuals in government and business, the report says.

“We cannot undo the horrific harm inflicted on these women. But we must ensure that allegations of criminal activity are thoroughly investigated, survivors are protected, and those responsible are held accountable,” Comer added. “The failures of the past must not be repeated.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida entered into a non-prosecution agreement with Epstein in 2007. Then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, who made the deal, spoke to the committee. Acosta briefly served as labor secretary during the first Trump administration but resigned over questions surrounding the Epstein agreement.

“While some of these failures reflected poor judgment by the USAO, others appeared to stem from Epstein’s pervasive influence and far-reaching connections, potentially including two attorneys employed by the office,” the report says.

The committee recommends the Justice Department interview or re-interview key witnesses and investigate allegations of criminal activity involving Epstein’s associates, providing survivors with unredacted access to their records.

Financial institutions failed to act on indicators of human trafficking and immigration fraud, the report notes.

“The U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) and FinCEN should review whether financial institutions are meeting their obligations under reporting requirements designed to prevent suspicious activities such as money laundering and human trafficking,” the report says.

The report, titled “A Review of the Federal Government’s Mishandling of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell Criminal Investigations,” is the culmination of a 15-month investigation that included transcribed interviews and depositions with former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Trump administration Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and Maxwell.

The Daily Signal first reported in September the committee’s plan to make recommendations on closing loopholes in human trafficking laws and ensuring that signers of nondisclosure agreements be required to report sexual misconduct.

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