Fact check: Why didn't Democrats release the Epstein files under Biden?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal that Democrats did take action regarding Epstein files during the Biden administration, contrary to what the original question implies. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released 33,295 pages of Epstein-related records provided by the U.S. Department of Justice ^[1]. Additionally, Senate Democrats invoked a rare rule (Section 2954) to demand Epstein files from the DOJ ^{[2] [3]}.

However, the released documents contained limited new information. Democrats and Republicans alike acknowledged that the files revealed little that wasn't already public, with 97% of the documents received from the Department of Justice being previously available ^{[4] [2]}. Both parties expressed that it remained unclear whether the justice department was withholding other Epstein records ^[2].

Democratic efforts to obtain Epstein transparency predated the Biden administration. Democratic lawmakers had been seeking records and investigations related to Epstein since 2019, launched quests to release Epstein records, called for investigations, and introduced legislation to prevent secret plea deals ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question omits several crucial facts:

• Bipartisan nature of the effort: The push for Epstein file releases was described as a "bipartisan push in Congress" ^[6], not exclusively a Democratic responsibility.
• Institutional constraints: The analyses suggest that the Department of Justice controls the release of these records, not necessarily the Democratic Party or the Biden administration directly. Democrats had to use formal mechanisms like Section 2954 to request information from the Executive Branch ^[3].
• Ongoing Democratic efforts: Rather than inaction, Democrats continued their transparency efforts that began during the Trump administration, with their public calls for record releases being "tempered at times" but not abandoned ^[5].
• Limited substance of available files: The question assumes there were significant unreleased files, but the evidence suggests that most relevant information was already public ^{[4] [2]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains a false premise by suggesting Democrats failed to release Epstein files under Biden. The evidence shows Democrats actively pursued and successfully obtained the release of over 33,000 pages of Epstein-related documents ^{[1] [2]}.

The question employs partisan framing by placing sole responsibility on Democrats, when the analyses indicate this was a bipartisan congressional effort ^[6]. This framing could benefit political actors seeking to weaponize the Epstein case for partisan advantage rather than focusing on transparency and justice.

The question also implies there was a deliberate cover-up or withholding by Democrats, when the evidence suggests the primary issue was that most relevant information was already in the public domain, and any remaining withheld documents would be controlled by the Department of Justice rather than congressional Democrats ^{[4] [2]}.