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▼ Bad look for PlaskettCongress / MembersCriminal Justice

Congress agreed to release the Epstein files. Now what? Live updates

Plaskett denied wrongdoing during a House debate over a measure to reprimand her for communicating with Epstein.

Congress agreed to release the Epstein files. Now what? Live updates
Image · Yahoo News

SOURCE CHECK

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Host credibilityYahoo News74/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 13, 2026

Credibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

Republished with credit

Republished from USA Today, with credit to the original publisher.

USA Today80/100 HIGH

21 stories · 79–81 · updated Oct 11, 2026

This is USA Today's own score, and this article is credited to USA Today. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.

Yahoo Newsvia USA Today
Nov 19, 2025
tl;dr

President Trump signed a law directing the Justice Department to release unclassified records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation within 30 days, subject to exceptions for victims’ privacy and ongoing investigations. The article also reports a House vote against censuring Delegate Stacey Plaskett and the lone vote by Representative Clay Higgins against the release bill.

Community verdict

22 VOTES
How does this story look for

Counts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 4

● OPEN
  • Readers of left-leaning coverage: 19% good look
  • Readers of right-leaning coverage: not enough votes yet
Votes cast on this page

Votes cast on this page: ▲ 0 · ◆ 0 · ▼ 0

People in this story

SWIPE →

Delegate who opposed a House measure to reprimand her over communications with Epstein

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who signed the Epstein files release legislation after changing his position

Trump's version of this story ↗
David P. Joyce
R · OH-14

Representative who voted against the measure to reprimand Plaskett

Representative who voted present on the measure to reprimand Plaskett

Clay Higgins
R · LA-3

The sole House member who voted against the Epstein files release legislation

Don Bacon
R · NE-2

Representative who voted against the measure to reprimand Plaskett

Attorney general who discussed the release law and announced a new investigation into Democrats’ Epstein ties

Raphael G. Warnock
D · GA · SEN

Senator who questioned whether Republicans would oppose Trump on other issues

Thomas Massie
R · KY-4

Republican co-author of the Epstein files legislation

John Thune
R · SD · SEN

Senate majority leader commenting on the Justice Department’s implementation of the law

Daniel Meuser
R · PA-9

Representative who voted present on the measure to reprimand Plaskett

John Kennedy
R · LA · SEN

Senator who commented on the bipartisan vote

Lance Gooden
R · TX-5

Representative who voted against the measure to reprimand Plaskett

Jay Obernolte
R · CA-23

Representative who voted present on the measure to reprimand Plaskett

Ro Khanna
D · CA-17

Democratic co-author of the Epstein files legislation

ALSO MENTIONED  Bill Clinton, Former president whom Trump cited as a Democrat with ties to Epstein; Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York tapped to lead the investigation; Larry Summers, Former Treasury secretary named as a subject of the new investigation

Part of a bigger story

3 OUTLETS
Trump Officials Describe Plan to Highlight Democrats’ Epstein Ties

Congress passed an Epstein files release measure, and the House voted against censuring Plaskett over her communications with Epstein. Left-leaning outlets focus on White House threats to spotlight Plaskett as political retaliation after the vote; center outlets give a factual account of the release law and House censure vote, including Plaskett’s denial of wrongdoing.

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