WASHINGTON (BN24) — The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has subpoenaed the estate of Jeffrey Epstein for a wide range of documents, including a leather-bound “birthday book” that was reportedly compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday and allegedly contains a note from President Donald Trump.
Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican chairing the committee, issued the subpoena demanding that Epstein’s co-executors turn over records spanning from 1990 through August 2019. The request includes entries from Epstein’s contact books, videos taken from his properties, his will, and the 2008 non-prosecution agreement that allowed him to avoid federal sex trafficking charges.
The focus on the so-called “birthday book” stems from reporting last month in The Wall Street Journal, which said Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell collected contributions from dozens of associates for the volume. The Journal reported that Trump allegedly signed a bawdy birthday letter to Epstein in the early 2000s that read, in part, “may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump has called the report “fake” and has filed a $20 billion defamation lawsuit against the newspaper, its parent company, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Comer said the committee’s demand is necessary to strengthen oversight of how the federal government handled Epstein’s cases. “It is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell,” Comer wrote in a letter accompanying the subpoena. The committee set a Sept. 8 deadline for Epstein’s estate to comply.
In addition, Comer announced that Alex Acosta, the former U.S. attorney in South Florida who negotiated Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, will testify before the committee on Sept. 19. Acosta, who later served as labor secretary under Trump, resigned in 2019 amid scrutiny over his role in Epstein’s lenient agreement.
The committee has also subpoenaed several former attorneys general, FBI directors, and prominent political figures, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for testimony or documents related to Epstein. Some former Justice Department officials, such as Alberto Gonzales, Eric Holder, and Jeff Sessions, were invited to submit sworn written statements instead of in-person testimony.
The Justice Department has recently begun turning over records on Epstein to Congress, with plans to release more publicly after redacting sensitive information. Epstein, who was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse of underage girls and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The renewed congressional interest comes after a July Justice Department memo stated there was no “client list” or evidence Epstein blackmailed powerful associates — a conclusion that has fueled further debate over transparency and accountability in the high-profile case.
