Louisiana lawmakers urge release of Epstein files

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers in Louisiana are calling on the federal government to release all the files related to the investigation of convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. 

Senate Concurrent Resolution 30, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero, and 18 of his colleagues, passed the chamber with unanimous support Monday and is headed to the House for consideration. 

The Louisiana Senate’s approval of Connick’s resolution came just a day before survivors of Epstein’s trafficking ring are scheduled to testify in a meeting organized by Democrats on the U.S. House Oversight Committee. 

The resolution has no power to compel the action it seeks. It calls on Congress to exercise its power and force the U.S. Department of Justice to release the remainder of the Epstein files. Additionally, it notes the files include information about high-profile individuals committing alleged crimes of “child sex trafficking involving minors as young as nine years of age, rape, blackmail, bribery, and a client list implicating politicians, celebrities, royalty and wealthy individuals.” 

The resolution urges Congress to ensure “all individuals implicated in the Epstein files are fully disclosed, investigated, prosecuted, and charged through every available legal process.”

In November, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, forcing President Donald Trump to order their release through the Justice Department. The FBI’s investigation into the late financier and Maxwell, his girlfriend and employee, produced more than 6 million pages of documents, but the DOJ has so far released only about 3.5 million of them with heavy redactions, according to U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, D-California.

In a phone call Monday, Connick said the point of his resolution is to make a public statement that the Epstein case is not over and the criminals involved still need to be brought to justice. 

“We have world leaders who participated in this type of activity, and they need to be exposed,” Connick said. “There’s a lot of evil that needs to be called out.”

Joining Connick as co-authors of the resolution are: Sens. Robert Allain, R-Franklin; Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge; Sidney Barthelemy, D-New Orleans; Adam Bass, R-Bossier City; Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette; Gary Carter, D-New Orleans; Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans; Jimmy Harris, D-New Orleans; Cameron Henry, R-Metairie; Katrina Jackson-Andrews, D-Monroe; Samuel Jenkins, D-Shreveport; Patrick McMath, R-Covington; Gregory A. Miller, R-Norco; Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton; Brach Myers, R-Lafayette; Ed Price, D-Gonzales; Jeremy Stine, R-Lake Charles; and Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge.