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Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025
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Two U.S. Senators Demand Answers from White House Chief of Staff Over Epstein File Comments
Democratic lawmakers seek clarification from Susie Wiles on her access to Jeffrey Epstein materials and statements mentioning Donald Trump
Two U.S. senators have formally asked White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to explain remarks she made about reading Jeffrey Epstein files and to clarify how she accessed sensitive materials that have not yet been fully released to the public.
In a letter made public on Tuesday, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Dick Durbin pressed Wiles for detailed answers about when, how and under what authority she reviewed the documents, which are part of a continuing controversy over the handling of Epstein-related records.
The correspondence was prompted by comments Wiles made in a recent interview, in which she said she had read “the Epstein files” and acknowledged that former President Donald Trump appeared in the records, adding that he was “on the manifest” of Epstein’s plane but “not in the file doing anything awful.”
Whitehouse and Durbin’s letter sets a deadline of January 5 for a written response and poses a series of questions about the nature of the materials Wiles consulted, whether any of those documents have been presented to a grand jury, and when she first gained access to them.
The senators also asked why Wiles reviewed the files and whether she shared insights with President Trump, underscoring lawmakers’ concerns about transparency and the intact release of court-mandated records.
They sought clarification on any role Wiles may have had in decisions related to the review, redaction, withholding or release of Epstein-related material, including any involvement by the Department of Justice or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The demand for answers comes as the Justice Department said last week that more than one million additional pages of documents in the Epstein case had been uncovered and would be released as soon as possible under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and other legal obligations.
The law, enacted in November, requires broad disclosure of government files related to the late financier, who was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he died in federal custody in 2019.
Epstein’s case has remained highly charged in U.S. politics, with victims’ advocates and lawmakers from both parties calling for full disclosure of official records to shed light on his network and any individuals who may have been connected to it.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing related to Epstein, and his defenders have framed the matter as an effort to ensure transparency without implicating the president in criminal conduct.
The lawmakers’ request to Wiles reflects ongoing congressional oversight efforts as the release of the files proceeds amid legal and political scrutiny.
In a letter made public on Tuesday, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Dick Durbin pressed Wiles for detailed answers about when, how and under what authority she reviewed the documents, which are part of a continuing controversy over the handling of Epstein-related records.
The correspondence was prompted by comments Wiles made in a recent interview, in which she said she had read “the Epstein files” and acknowledged that former President Donald Trump appeared in the records, adding that he was “on the manifest” of Epstein’s plane but “not in the file doing anything awful.”
Whitehouse and Durbin’s letter sets a deadline of January 5 for a written response and poses a series of questions about the nature of the materials Wiles consulted, whether any of those documents have been presented to a grand jury, and when she first gained access to them.
The senators also asked why Wiles reviewed the files and whether she shared insights with President Trump, underscoring lawmakers’ concerns about transparency and the intact release of court-mandated records.
They sought clarification on any role Wiles may have had in decisions related to the review, redaction, withholding or release of Epstein-related material, including any involvement by the Department of Justice or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The demand for answers comes as the Justice Department said last week that more than one million additional pages of documents in the Epstein case had been uncovered and would be released as soon as possible under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and other legal obligations.
The law, enacted in November, requires broad disclosure of government files related to the late financier, who was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he died in federal custody in 2019.
Epstein’s case has remained highly charged in U.S. politics, with victims’ advocates and lawmakers from both parties calling for full disclosure of official records to shed light on his network and any individuals who may have been connected to it.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing related to Epstein, and his defenders have framed the matter as an effort to ensure transparency without implicating the president in criminal conduct.
The lawmakers’ request to Wiles reflects ongoing congressional oversight efforts as the release of the files proceeds amid legal and political scrutiny.
