The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell Lawrence: Trump is using the government shutdown to shut down the Epstein files
8 snips
Oct 31, 2025 
Jamie Raskin, a top Democrat and U.S. Representative from Maryland, discusses the contentious investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell's alleged preferential prison treatment and the impact of the current government shutdown on the release of Epstein files. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nick Kristof analyzes the implications of USAID cuts, highlighting their detrimental effects on global health, particularly in Somalia, and questions the prioritization of foreign aid for Argentina over life-saving assistance elsewhere.
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Shutdown As A Shield For Epstein Files
- The government shutdown functions as a mechanism to block release of the Epstein files by keeping the House from seating a decisive member.
- Lawrence O'Donnell and Jamie Raskin argue the shutdown shields powerful people from accountability and stalls transparency.
Seat The New Representative To Force A Vote
- Swear in Representative Adelita Grijalva to add the decisive 218th signature and force a vote to unseal the Epstein-Maxwell files.
- Speaker Mike Johnson should stop using procedural delays to block accountability and let the House vote.
Questions Around Maxwell's Prison Treatment
- Ghislaine Maxwell received a transfer and unusually privileged treatment in federal custody after DOJ review, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.
- Jamie Raskin says transfers, special amenities, and punished inmates reporting the perks suggest preferential treatment linked to protecting powerful figures.
