KDSN RADIO News
Senator Grassley says he’s waited years to see the Epstein files
As president pro-tempore of the U.S. Senate, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’ll put his signature on the legislation to release the so-called Epstein files before the bill is sent on to President Trump later today.
The Senate agreed to unanimously approve the bill, so there won’t be any individual votes to be made public. Grassley says if he was given the opportunity to vote on it, he would have voted “yes,” as these files have been the topic of discussion for years.
“Iowans didn’t want the delay,” Grassley says. “This is going to loosen up information I’ve been trying to get ever since Epstein was first arrested, or the second time he was arrested in 2019. That’s how long I’ve been trying to get some of these records.”
Financier Jeffery Epstein was convicted of sex crimes in 2008 and died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges for sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York.
During a conference call with Iowa reporters at 8 AM/Central, Grassley said he wasn’t sure how soon it would be before the Senate acted on the legislation.
“We don’t have the bill going to the president yet because we haven’t received it from the House,” he says. “Then it has to be enrolled, and I have to sign it as president pro tem of the Senate, and then it’ll go to the president for his signature.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson says there are flaws in the bill, and Grassley was asked if he sees anything wrong with it.
“The president said he would sign the legislation. If there’s something needs to be some changes later on, not in regard to the records being released on Epstein, there’s no dissenting views on that in the Senate,” Grassley says. “There might be some dissenting views on the policy changes that were made, but that would have to be done now in separate legislation.”
Under the bill, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will be tasked with releasing all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” related to Epstein at the Department of Justice within 30 days.
