Morning Joe House poised to pass a bill to force the release of the Epstein files in a bipartisan vote
Nov 18, 2025
Lisa Rubin, a senior legal reporter for MS Now, joins to dissect the House's upcoming bipartisan vote on releasing the Epstein files. She explains the bill's requirements and sheds light on potential exceptions regarding ongoing investigations. The conversation dives into the political pressures that led to this moment, highlighting survivors' advocacy. Joe and Lisa also connect the dots on Epstein's connections and discuss the implications of selective document releases. Legal intricacies around the Comey case further illustrate the complexities of political accountability.
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House Pushes To Release Epstein Files
- The House prepared a bipartisan measure to force DOJ to release Jeffrey Epstein files, and it was poised to pass overwhelmingly.
- Trump's late reversal cleared the path but DOJ can still withhold material for victims' privacy, classification, or ongoing investigations.
Statutory Exceptions Could Limit Disclosure
- The bill demands release but explicitly allows DOJ exceptions for privacy, classified info, and ongoing probes.
- Those built-in exceptions mean Congress can't guarantee every document will be made public.
Republican Revolt Forced Trump's Reversal
- Many Republicans publicly broke with Trump and pushed for release, marking a rare defeat for him within his party.
- That intra-party rebellion transformed this from a partisan fight into an inevitability for the White House.