[ "WASHINGTON – The drive for accountability in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has crystallized into a bipartisan parliamentary campaign that, so far, has produced little substantive progress. For nearly a year, survivors' calls and public outrages have forced Congress to set aside partisan divisions, but the evidence remains shrouded by bureaucratic delays and political sniping.", "", "**Survivors** are pushing the House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer (R‑KY), to dig deeper into the DOJ’s pile of files left in a 2023 release that includes private photos and personal data of potential victims. Reviewers note that the DOJ deemed the documents “duplicative” or “illegal” to release, and because those claims are still contested, no new evidentiary material has been made public.", "", "At a Friday interrogation, many Democrats were furious that former Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein matter and declined to answer questions about President Trump’s involvement. Rep. Ro Khanna (D‑CA), who championed the law that requires a full disclosure of Epstein’s files, remains unconvinced that the DOJ is stepping up to answer the fundamental question of who abused or profited from Epstein’s empire.", "", "**Key players** interviewed this year include former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and the businessman and philanthropist William R. "Betty" Wexner, after the DOJ released the earliest spreadsheet linking Epstein to Reuters and other entities.", "", "The committee has reached out to other high‑profile figures—Bill Gates, Leon Black, Jes Staley, and former Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathy Ruemmler. The lies were cut by the committee, though those who appear are typically in denial about knowing any abuse. The failure to question them consistently has drawn criticism from the Democratic caucus and survivors alike.", "", "In remarks at a hearing near Trump’s Mar‑a‑Lago resort, survivors explained how the DOJ’s slow response has compounded trauma. “The government’s refusal to acknowledge the failures that were there has led to so much harm,” said Annie Farmer, a survivor, stressing that the lack of public acknowledgment stifles healing. Marina Lacerda said that “accountability is hard right now, but we are looking to save the next generation.”", "", "The bipartisan frustration is even more evident internationally, where high‑ranking officials in the UK, Sweden, Norway and Slovakia have been forced to resign because of ties to Epstein. One of the civil‑law lawsuits against Bank of America for facilitating the Epstein trafficking ring reached a multimillion‑dollar settlement with the victims, and the DOJ’s oversight remains in question.", "", "On the Hill, the tension peaked when Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D‑NM) denounced the DOJ’s refusal to release “dupl…cated” file sets as a ‘choice’ rather than a legal limitation. The message were clear: the administration is unwilling to attend to the survivor’s plight, and the House committee is positioned to try to crack the encrypted data in a bid to produce a “tangible end‑game.”", "", "Late analysts say that even at the culmination of bipartisan events, the real party division will never be fully erased. If Congress cannot break it, then means of justice must shift to the FBI’s investigations and the criminal courts. The verdict lies in how people from the legal profession and the public will maintain pressure for a “clear decision on whether criminal culpability is involved.”" ]