'Rich & Powerful Men Will Be Held Accountable': US Rep On Epstein Files

Washington, DC: American politicians and the public are awaiting the release of the infamous Epstein Files, even as Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released another collection of images from Jeffrey Epstein's estate. The full tranche of files is expected to be released on the midnight of Friday night. US representative from California's 17th congressional district, Ro Khanna, said that, finally, rich men who covered up for abuse would be held accountable once the tranche of files is released.

"Tomorrow, by 11:59 PM on Friday, the Epstein files will finally be released because of my Epstein Transparency Act. We will see thousands of documents that we should have seen decades ago. Three federal judges have ordered the release. As I'm speaking, dozens of lawyers on the national security team at the Department of Justice are preparing the documents for release. Let me be very clear: we need a full release. 

Anyone who tampers with these documents or conceals files or engages in excessive redaction will be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. We will prosecute individuals regardless of whether they're the Attorney General or a career or political appointee. We need full transparency and justice for the survivors. Tomorrow, finally, rich and powerful men who raped underage girls or who covered up for this abuse will be held accountable. The Epstein class needs to go," Khanna said. 

Meanwhile, on Thursday, around 70 photographs from Epstein's computer and email accounts were released by the House Democrats. One image shows former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates standing next to a woman, whose face is redacted. Another shows Noam Chomsky seated next to Epstein on a plane. Several images show a social gathering over a meal and several faces of powerful or public figures, including Epstein, as reported by PBS News. 

The Epstein estate did not provide context for any of the images. Several images in the new release show Epstein, a convicted sex offender, photographed with women whose faces have been redacted. In an undated photograph, a quote from Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" is seen written on someone's foot. Other unexplained images include identification cards or passports of several unidentified people from countries such as Russia and the Czech Republic, reported PBS.

"Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people," said Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform."As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession. We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now," he added. 

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