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Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling
April 22, 2026 / 3:41 p.m. ET

James Comer Is Effectively Killing the Epstein Investigation

A House Oversight Committee memo shows Representative James Comer plans to make big changes to the hearing process, including not requiring witnesses to swear in.


Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images

Republicans have found a new way to conduct the Epstein investigation. Democrats insist it’s just another attempt to sweep the whole scandal under the rug.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee flamed House Oversight Chair James Comer in a congressional memo for “running scared,” accusing the Kentucky Republican of changing the Epstein investigation proceedings into informal “roundtables” that lack any rules.

In this format, there’s no opportunity to consider subpoenas, and no recourse for Democrats to force votes on transparency measures, according to the memo shared among Democratic lawmakers last week.

Perhaps worst of all, the roundtables are designed to look and feel like “regular committee hearings,” according to the memo, but don’t require witnesses to speak under oath. That will effectively void the investigation of any value, giving potential witnesses an opportunity to lie before Congress without consequence.

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