Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is ramping up pressure on the FBI and IRS to release unredacted records related to Jeffrey Epstein, insisting the public deserves full transparency regarding his associates and financial dealings.

In a letter addressed to newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel and acting IRS Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell, Blackburn, 72, demanded the agencies provide “complete, unredacted records” regarding Epstein, including flight logs, surveillance footage, and financial documents.

“This critical information identifying every individual who could have participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s abhorrent conduct is long overdue,” Blackburn wrote. “The survivors of Mr. Epstein’s horrific crimes want transparency and accountability, and they—and the American people—deserve nothing less.”

Epstein, a disgraced financier with high-profile connections, was arrested in July 2019 on federal child sex trafficking charges. He was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell a month later, with the official ruling being suicide. His death has fueled years of speculation and demands for answers regarding his extensive network of associates.

Demands for Full Disclosure

Blackburn is specifically seeking the unredacted flight logs from Epstein’s private jet and helicopter, along with his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s records, including the infamous “little black book.” Additionally, she is calling for the release of surveillance footage from Epstein’s Palm Beach residence, which was allegedly a hub for his illicit activities.

While redacted versions of these documents have previously surfaced online or been included in lawsuits, Blackburn argues that the full versions must be made public. “Since Mr. Epstein’s death in 2019, there is still much about this tragic case that is not known—including the names of his associates that are listed in the flight logs of his private jet and in Ghislaine Maxwell’s ‘little black book,’” she wrote.

Beyond the FBI, Blackburn is also pressing the IRS for records detailing Epstein and Maxwell’s financial dealings. She is requesting “any and all” documents revealing individuals and entities that had financial relationships with them.

FBI Director Patel’s Pledge

During his confirmation hearing last month, Patel assured Blackburn that he would “absolutely” work with her to bring more transparency to Epstein’s case files. However, it remains unclear how far he will go in releasing sensitive documents, particularly given past concerns over revealing the names of individuals who met with Epstein but were not implicated in criminal activity.

Blackburn has been a consistent advocate for obtaining these records. She previously urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena the files and pressed former FBI Director Christopher Wray on the issue. In December 2023, Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee that his team would “figure out if there’s more information we can provide” on Epstein, but no follow-up information was ever released.

“Director Wray never provided any such follow-up information,” Blackburn noted in her letter to Patel. “Over a year has elapsed since then, and we still do not have all of the necessary information regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.”

The demand for transparency on Epstein’s network is gaining momentum. Last week, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that Epstein’s client list is “sitting on my desk” as it undergoes review for potential release.

As the pressure mounts, Patel and O’Donnell now face a crucial decision: whether to follow through on their promises of transparency or continue withholding key documents that could shed light on one of the most notorious criminal cases of the century. The American people, as Blackburn asserts, are watching—and waiting.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) expressed doubts about Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) ability to retain the gavel, stating that he remains undecided on whether he can support Johnson in the upcoming Friday floor vote, despite the endorsement from President-elect Trump.

“I remain undecided, as do a number of my colleagues, because we saw so many of the failures last year that we are concerned about that might limit or inhibit our ability to advance the president’s agenda,” Roy said during an appearance on “Varney & Co.” on Fox Business.

Roy went on to clarify that Johnson does not currently have enough support to secure the position of Speaker.

“Right now, I don’t believe he has the votes on Friday,” Roy said.

Several Republicans, including Reps. Andy Harris (Md.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), and Victoria Spartz (Ind.), are withholding their support for Johnson, despite Trump’s endorsement. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has signaled he will vote for someone other than Johnson, indicated that Trump’s backing hasn’t changed his stance.

With only one Republican defection allowed in the January 3 Speaker election, assuming all members are present and voting, Johnson’s chances of retaining the gavel are precarious. The House’s incoming 215 Democrats are all expected to vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and Republicans are anticipated to have 219 members in attendance that day.

Roy mentioned alternatives to Johnson, including Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

“People say, well, Chip, who would you choose otherwise? Mike’s a friend and maybe he can answer the call and deliver an agenda and a plan. Byron Donalds is a good man and a good friend. I nominated him two years ago. Jim Jordan’s a good man and a good friend. There are other members of leadership in the conference who could do the job,” Roy said.

While Jordan has shown support for Johnson following Trump’s endorsement, and Donalds expressed his support for Johnson in December, Roy remains firm in his concerns about Johnson’s leadership.

Despite respecting Trump’s endorsement of Johnson and considering him a friend, Roy highlighted several actions by Johnson over the past year that have raised alarm, particularly the short-term spending deal that went through multiple iterations before being passed just before Christmas.

“We violated the 72-hour rule twice, which means we didn’t have time to read a bill. We had to have Elon [Musk] and Vivek [Ramaswamy] and the president and JD [Vance] come in to kill a 1,500-page monstrosity, cut it down to 100 pages. It still spent $110 billion unpaid for,” Roy said.

He added that the spending deal before Christmas is indicative of the challenges that lie ahead, emphasizing the need for a change in how the conference organizes to effectively deliver for the American people.

“The failure before Christmas, I cannot overstate, it’s a glimpse to come if we don’t organize the conference to be able to deliver for the American people. We are not going to be able to bend on the things that matter. We must cut spending if you want inflation to go down and for people to afford to live in this country.”

SOURCE: THE HILL

Kamala Harris is now more popular than Joe Biden or Donald Trump have been at any point in the 2024 election cycle, according to a new survey.

A Morning Consult poll of 11,538 registered voters between July 26 and 28 found 50 percent have a favorable view of Harris, while 46 percent have an unfavorable view. According to the pollster, “Harris’s 4-point net favorability is a higher rating than Biden or Trump have posted all cycle.”

Harris quickly established herself as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee after President Biden announced he was pulling out of the race and gave her his endorsement on July 21. The vice president has picked up the support of enough Democratic National Convention delegates to have herself confirmed as the party’s 2024 nominee, along with endorsements from prominent leaders like former President Barack Obama.

The latest Morning Consult survey gives Harris a 50 percent approval rating, significantly higher than the one conducted a week before, when her favorability was 43 percent and 51 percent had an unfavorable perception of her.

The 12-point swing in net approval was primarily driven by a surge in Harris’s popularity with Democrats from 80 percent approval to 89 percent and independents from 31 percent to 48 percent. When Morning Consult asked respondents who they would vote for in a presidential election, 47 percent said Harris against 46 percent for former President Trump. According to the pollster, the Harris figure was higher than the support Biden recorded when he was seen as the most likely Democratic nominee going back to late 2022.

Notably, the poll showed support for third-party candidates, such as independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had shrunk to 4 percent of the vote, well below the 8 percent it was at in Morning Consult’s final survey for Biden v. Trump before the incumbent president announced he was not seeking reelection.

According to the poll, 47 percent of voters said they had heard something positive about Harris over the past week, compared to 35 percent who’d heard something negative.

On Monday, during an appearance on The Ingraham Angle on Fox News, Trump declined to guarantee he would debate with Harris ahead of the 2024 election.

Speaking to host Laura Ingraham, the Republican candidate said he will “probably end up debating” but “can also make a case for not doing it.”

In a response on X, Harris spokesperson Ammar Moussa asked: “Why won’t Donald Trump give a straight answer on debating Vice President Harris?”