by WorldTribune Staff, November 11, 2026 — Real World News
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Tuesday released a 136-page majority staff report criticizing the federal government for decades of failures in handling the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigations.
“What we found is both heartbreaking and infuriating,” committee Chairman James Comer said in a video announcing the report’s release.
“These women endured unimaginable abuse, and the federal government failed them at nearly every turn. Had the government done its job, much of this abuse could have been prevented.”
Key findings and criticisms include in the report:
• Systemic prosecutorial failures: The report faults the federal government—specifically pointing to the 2007 non-prosecution agreement brokered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida—for allowing Epstein to plead guilty to state charges and avoid federal sex trafficking indictments, enabling him to continue abusing women.
• Bureau of prisons failures: The panel cited severe procedural lapses, staff shortages, and missed counts that allowed Epstein to go unsupervised for hours before his 2019 death reportedly by suicide in a federal jail.
• Financial institution oversight: The report notes that banks and financial institutions (such as American Express) failed to act on or report red flags regarding human trafficking and dummy itineraries.
RedState’s Teri Christoph noted: “The report highlights the many missed opportunities there were for stopping the abuse of young women and girls and reveals a justice system that repeatedly failed the victims. Even worse, powerful individuals associated with Epstein and Maxwell were allowed to escape from any legal scrutiny of their actions.”
The committee’s recommendations and Department of Justice response:
• Witness interviews: The committee urged the Justice Department to re-interview key figures from Epstein’s inner circle and investigate associates accused of criminal activity.
• Survivor access and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs): Lawmakers recommended creating a process for survivors to access unredacted personal files and called on Congress to pass legislation protecting individuals from being silenced by NDAs.
• Justice Department reaction: A spokesperson responded that the Epstein case is not closed, that there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking, and that the department has already addressed many of the committee’s recommendations while continuing to follow investigative leads.
The committee reiterated its call for the Justice Department to investigate two powerful men: former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai. Both were accused of sexual assault by Epstein survivor Sarah Kellen during her testimony before the committee.
The majority report states that review of documents from estate records, banks, and the Justice Department did not implicate President Donald Trump in any criminal activity related to Epstein.
House Democrats called the investigation incomplete and vowed to hold further hearings.
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