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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Prior to the 2024 presidential election, many public |
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figures now holding high office in the executive branch called for |
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the release of Federal Bureau of Investigation files on deceased |
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sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; and |
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WHEREAS, Current FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy FBI Director |
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Dan Bongino, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and Vice President |
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J. D. Vance were among the many who have long sought the release of |
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files from the FBI investigation of Mr. Epstein; he was federally |
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charged in 2019 with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to |
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commit sex trafficking of minors in a case involving dozens of |
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victims; later that year, he died in custody while awaiting trial; |
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his associate and confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell, was subsequently |
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convicted on federal charges related to her role in recruiting and |
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grooming underage girls on his behalf; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2008, Mr. Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida |
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to state charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting |
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prostitution from someone under the age of 18; his light sentence |
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caused a scandal when The Miami Herald revealed that despite reams |
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of evidence against him, he had secured a non-prosecution agreement |
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from the office of then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, who was |
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later appointed U.S. secretary of labor by President Donald J. |
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Trump; Mr. Acosta resigned from the cabinet when the federal |
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indictment against Mr. Epstein was unsealed; and |
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WHEREAS, Since President Trump returned to the White House in |
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January 2025, he and senior members of his administration have |
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repeatedly stated that the government would release a full |
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accounting of the Epstein case, including names of associates, |
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thousands of pages of evidence, and potential criminal referrals; |
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in February, after indicating to Fox News that she had on her desk a |
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long-rumored list of Mr. Epstein's clients, Attorney General Bondi |
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distributed binders of "declassified" records that proved to be |
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nothing more than a collection of already public information; in |
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response to the resulting furor, she ordered a comprehensive report |
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from the FBI director; according to media accounts, the New York |
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field office then delayed other investigations in order for |
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hundreds of FBI agents to work around the clock reviewing the |
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Epstein files; nevertheless, no more information was forthcoming, |
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and on July 7, the Justice Department abruptly posted a memo |
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asserting that the much-anticipated "client list" did not exist and |
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the agency did not intend to release any new information on the |
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matter; and |
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WHEREAS, The Trump administration has purported to be the |
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most transparent in the history of the country, but officials who |
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once clamored for the release of the Epstein files are now asserting |
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they contain nothing of interest; today, there are more questions |
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than ever about Mr. Epstein's criminal activity and his associates, |
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and the ongoing lack of candor is causing the American public to |
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question the honesty and integrity of the administration; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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1st Called Session, hereby call for the U.S. Department of Justice |
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and the Trump administration to release the complete Epstein files; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to President Donald Trump and to U.S. |
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Attorney General Pamela Bondi. |