Epstein Files: The One Secrecy Beltway Can't Keep
When Congress moves this swiftly and bipartisanly on *anything*, especially a bill compelling the Department of Justice to release files, one might wonder what's really being protected. Rep. Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene, both known for bucking party lines and often critiquing foreign entanglements, are champions here. But their vocal support for transparency on a sensational past
scandal contrasts sharply with the deafening silence from many of their peers on current, verifiable human rights abuses funded directly by U.S. taxpayers. Indeed, many of these same politicians, including those in leadership who suddenly found their voice on accountability, have a long, documented history of voting for billions in unconditional military aid to Israel, despite mounting evidence of
war crimes in Gaza. OpenSecrets.org, for instance, shows Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Leader, received over $300,000 from pro-Israel PACs since 2020. Oddly, the urgency for file releases seldom extends to scrutinizing how U.S. weapons are used. President Trump's 'shock reversal' (as Axios breathlessly calls it) to support the bill, after 'months of work' covertly delaying it, is less a
principled stance and more a masterclass in political theater. This sudden zeal for exposing inconvenient truths from a decade ago serves as an admirable diversion—a shiny object waved enthusiastically by the political class to ensure the public isn't asking critical questions about where their tax dollars are going *right now*. The 'fight' isn't just about releasing files; it's about what stories