House Democrats Demand Special Counsel Over Trump-Epstein Ties

House Judiciary Committee Democrats released a 53-page report on October 26 alleging that Donald Trump was an active participant and co-conspirator in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring during the 1990s. The report cites testimony from 11 women, including five who accuse the president of rape or sexual assault. Among these is Beatrice Keul, a former Miss Switzerland, who alleged Trump brutally raped her in 1993; accounts of the location vary between the Trump Plaza Hotel in Atlantic City and the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Ranking Member Jamie Raskin and other Democrats are demanding the appointment of an independent special counsel, claiming the United States Department of Justice has obstructed investigations to protect the president. The report specifically accuses Attorney General Todd Blanche of criminal obstruction for allegedly instructing Ghislaine Maxwell not to discuss a survivor during a 2025 interview. The findings also name former State Department official Paolo Zampolli as a participant in the trafficking network.

President Trump and the White House have denied all allegations, characterizing the report as a political distraction released eight days before the November 3 midterm elections. The Justice Department dismissed the claims as a last-ditch effort to mislead the public, asserting it has complied with all laws regarding the release of investigatory documents.