Trump administration faces growing pressure over Epstein files

The Trump administration is under intensifying pressure to release sealed files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

(NBC) – The Trump administration is under intensifying pressure to release sealed files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, as the Department of Justice’s second-in-command held a second day of private meetings with convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and her legal team.

Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, said: “She never declined to answer. She answered all of the questions truthfully, honestly, and to the best of her ability.”

The Deputy Attorney General — a former personal attorney to President Trump — told reporters he plans to disclose details “at the appropriate time.” Still, skepticism is running high. Maxwell is currently appealing her 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking minors, and both prosecutors and the judge in her 2021 trial have accused her of lying under oath. Democrats have voiced strong concerns that the meeting may be an attempt to secure a presidential pardon.

“Anything she says must be corroborated with documents and records from the actual Epstein files,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA).

Lawmakers from both parties are now pushing for the full release of the DOJ’s Epstein files. They are also preparing to conduct their own deposition of Maxwell next month. Republicans are brushing off a Wall Street Journal report citing senior administration officials who say Attorney General briefed President Trump back in May that his name appears in the unreleased files — among many other high-profile individuals.

“So it’s not a surprise, like anybody who ever met him is getting mentioned, quote, unquote. So I don’t think that’s a big deal,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).

NBC News has reviewed over 1,000 pages of Epstein-related documents and interviewed dozens of victims and attorneys. None have accused President Trump of any criminal activity.