President Donald Trump’s latest call for a federal probe into Jeffrey Epstein’s ties with Bill Clinton and others has ignited a fresh political firestorm — one that could directly impact the long-awaited release of the federal Epstein files.

The controversy intensified after Democratic Texas House candidate Sara McGee claimed that the Trump administration is preparing to cite a newly launched “active investigation” to delay or block the files from being made public.

Her comments followed Trump’s announcement on Truth Social that he had instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi, along with the DOJ and FBI, to thoroughly investigate Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with Clinton and others.

Hours later, Bondi confirmed on X that she had ordered a top federal prosecutor to begin examining Epstein’s connections to Clinton and additional figures.

 

McGee sharply criticised the move, calling it a diversion tactic. “There it is. They spent 24 hours coming up with a diversion strategy, and here it is,” she wrote on X.

“They are going to say that they can’t release the files because they are subject to an ‘active investigation’.” She ended her post with a single word: “Watch.”

Her allegation comes at a pivotal moment. On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee released a tranche of Epstein-related documents, some of which referenced Trump in multiple contexts.

Meanwhile, House Republicans are preparing for a vote on Tuesday on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation intended to compel the release of federal files. The bill, introduced in mid-August, would still require the president’s signature after clearing both chambers.

Can Trump block the release?

Potentially, yes. Trump could veto the bill once it reaches his desk, a move that would prevent the files from being released unless Congress overrides the veto with a two-thirds majority — a threshold unlikely to be met given current political alignments.

Even without a veto, the administration could slow or narrow the release. Under the Act’s current language, the DOJ is permitted to withhold materials that contain victims’ personal information or could compromise an “active federal investigation.”

Now that Bondi has signaled that such an investigation is underway, the DOJ could legally retain or redact significant portions of the files.

Trump has dismissed the broader controversy as a “hoax,” insisting he should not be distracted from running the country. But with political stakes rising and oversight pressure mounting, the battle over the Epstein files is far from over.