U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, voted YES on the Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 4405), which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 427-1. This legislation would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein, including flight logs and travel records, as well as any individuals and government officials named or referenced.
“I’ve said it from the very beginning: Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have been denied justice for far too long while the American people were kept in the dark about his disturbing criminal operation. That changes today,” said Barrett. “I was one of the first co-sponsors of the resolution that made this vote possible, and I’m relieved we finally got it done with such overwhelming support. This long-overdue action will deliver the accountability and transparency we have long awaited.”
Barrett has repeatedly called for the release of the Epstein files and stronger support for survivors. In July, he was one of the first cosponsors of the underlying resolution (H.Res. 581) that ultimately brought H.R. 4405 to the House floor for a vote. Additionally, Barrett supported a House-approved plan (H.Res. 668) instructing the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to release the documents it gathered in its bipartisan investigation of the Epstein case.
This has since resulted in the release of tens of thousands of records, including text messages between Jeffrey Epstein and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, who represents the Virgin Islands, during a House Oversight committee hearing in February 2019. Tonight, the House will vote on H.Res. 888 to censure Plaskett and remove her from her position on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“All of the recent documents that have been released — including secret text messages between Jeffrey Epstein and the elected Democrat who represents the Virgin Islands and Epstein Island — are a result of efforts I supported to deliver transparency,” Barrett said before the vote. “Tonight, I will vote in support of censuring that member and removing her from the House Intelligence Committee. Nobody colluding with convicted sex offenders should be in a position of handling our nation’s most sensitive classified information. Period.”
