US House speaker to end session early amid Epstein debate

Washington, July 23 (IANS) As the discussion surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's documents intensifies, US House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he will adjourn the lower chamber on Wednesday, sending lawmakers to their states and districts earlier than scheduled for a five-week summer recess, according to media reports.

While the House of Representatives was originally set to adjourn on July 24 for its August recess, Johnson announced that the House would hold its last votes on July 23, after which it would formally adjourn. This decision comes as bipartisan pressure mounts over demands to release documents tied to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Xinhua news agency reported.

Noting that US President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to do what is needed, Johnson said that the administration should be allowed the "space to do what it is doing."

Epstein, who had extensive connections with US political and business elites, was arrested on sex crime charges and died in prison in August 2019, officially ruled a suicide.

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to release Epstein-related documents if re-elected. However, earlier this month, the DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a joint memo stating that no incriminating "client list" exists and that "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted."

The Trump administration's shifting stance on the matter has drawn widespread criticism, with some supporters even calling for US Attorney General Pam Bondi's resignation, demanding more transparency from the government.

--IANS

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