- 1 year ago
On the Senate floor, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) demanded the "truth" about President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein following Deputy AG Todd Blanche's interview with Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
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00:00The Senator from Maryland is recognized.
00:05Thank you, Mr. President.
00:06They have well described, I think, all the inappropriate actions that have been taken
00:11by the Justice Department, including recently with respect to the Deputy Attorney General
00:16who had been Donald Trump's personal lawyer conducting the secret interview with the Epstein
00:25Associate Maxwell, and this is an important conversation to continue here on the Senate
00:32floor.
00:33We were here earlier this morning where we discussed the very, very troubling and disturbing
00:39case of Jeffrey Epstein and the horrifying abuse of young women and girls.
00:48Those who were so terribly abused and treated deserve to have the full truth.
00:55They deserve to have all the facts come out, as do their loved ones, as do the American
01:01people, so the American people can have some kind of confidence that the Department of Justice
01:08is presenting the American people with the truth.
01:14Because we need transparency in order to ensure full accountability.
01:20It used to be the case that Donald Trump and his Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and others
01:26in this administration said they wanted to get to the bottom of it.
01:30In fact, they said they wanted to release the Epstein files.
01:35But as we got closer to actually doing that, they suddenly decided that they did not want
01:42the public to know, and that they didn't want Epstein's victims to know.
01:49And so now they've decided not to be forthcoming.
01:54The obvious question is, what are they hiding?
01:58And that is why we took to the floor earlier today to say, release the damn Epstein files.
02:06We've learned just in the last 48 hours that, at some point along the way, the FBI redacted
02:14Trump's name from the Epstein files.
02:17We had learned that his name was very likely in those files, and we also know that the
02:22Trump administration asked the FBI to do a search of his name in the files.
02:29We now know that his name was redacted from those files at some point along the way by
02:36the FBI.
02:38As my colleagues from Rhode Island and California were just discussing, we've also witnessed
02:45in just the last week or two the highly inappropriate action of the Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche,
02:54to conduct a secret interview with Jelaine Maxwell, who was Jeffrey Epstein's partner in these
03:04crimes.
03:07And when he was asked at his confirmation hearing before the Senate about whether he had a continuing
03:14duty of loyalty and confidentiality to Donald Trump, his response was yes.
03:23As the former personal attorney of Donald Trump, he had an ongoing duty of loyalty and confidentiality.
03:34Clearly that duty of loyalty and confidentiality to Donald Trump puts him in direct conflict
03:41with the interests of the truth and the people of the United States when it comes to President
03:47Trump.
03:48So it was highly inappropriate that he held that interview.
03:54As a senator from California just pointed out, he excluded from that interview lawyers that
04:00have been working on this case for a long time.
04:03It is also a fact by at least many reports that he, Todd Blanche, has a very close personal
04:10relationship with the lawyer for Ms. Maxwell.
04:17And so this thing stinks to high heaven.
04:20And one thing they should do is immediately release the transcripts of this secret interview
04:26that was just conducted.
04:28Release the transcripts.
04:29Release the transcripts.
04:31According to all reports, they gave Jelaine Maxwell immunity, proffer immunity, for the purpose
04:42of her testimony.
04:43Nothing she said in that interview could be used against her.
04:47So release the transcript to the American people.
04:53Because Donald Trump's personal attorney should not be the one in the room conducting an interview
05:00with somebody who might have testimony that directly incriminates Donald Trump.
05:10We've also seen just in recent days the question floated about whether the President of the United
05:19States would pardon Jelaine Maxwell.
05:23When President Trump was asked about that possibility, he acknowledged he had that power.
05:31As I said on this floor this morning, President Trump should immediately today announce that he
05:38will not use his pardon power to pardon Jelaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for
05:50being a co-conspirator in the abuse of young women and girls.
05:58What is clearly happening in plain view is very dangerous to our system of justice.
06:07What is clearly happening is the possibility that Jelaine Maxwell and her lawyers are seeking
06:15a pardon in exchange for her giving the kind of testimony that would please President Trump.
06:27One of the families of the victims, a family from Virginia who lost their loved one to suicide
06:36in April, has said, President Trump, do not pardon Jelaine Maxwell.
06:48And my understanding is that is clearly the sentiment of the other victims and their families.
06:56And so the President should today announce that he will never do that.
07:03Now earlier this morning, Senator Merkley offered a resolution and asked unanimous consent on it to
07:10release the Epstein files.
07:14And we should do that immediately.
07:16That should be done immediately.
07:18Senator Durbin and I wrote to the Attorney General last week urging her to do what she said she
07:24was going to do, which is release the files.
07:28But that was objected to on the Republican side.
07:33And I see Senator Barrasso on the floor, and when he objected to Senator Merkley this morning,
07:40this is what he said.
07:42He said, Senate Republicans included a provision to address this very issue in an appropriation
07:49bill that Democrats blocked earlier this week.
07:53This issue would have been addressed here on the United States Senate floor.
07:58Yet Senate Democrats came to the floor and objected to what was in this bill.
08:05Well first of all, Mr. President, I should clarify the fact that it was not Senate Republicans
08:11who included that provision in the appropriations bill to require that the Justice Department retain
08:22all the records with regard to the Epstein files and that they answer certain questions regarding
08:33those files and provide those responses to Congress.
08:36It wasn't Senate Republicans.
08:37In fact, it was my amendment in the Senate Appropriations Committee on that very issue.
08:44I'm glad it did pass unanimously.
08:47And momentarily I'm going to ask for unanimous consent on the exact same provision that was
08:54adopted unanimously by the Senate Appropriations Committee, word for word.
09:02Now it is true that that bill did not move forward here in the Senate, and I'm not going to go
09:08on for the hours that would be required to talk about the provisions in the Commerce Science
09:16Justice bill.
09:20Suffice it to say that there was another issue that we discussed for about an hour the other
09:25night regarding the fact that the Trump administration decided to seize, rescind, steal, whatever you
09:33want to call it, $1.4 billion that had been set aside for a secure FBI headquarters.
09:42And they decided to snatch that money away from the selected site and put it to another site.
09:48My view is that wherever the FBI builds that new headquarters, it should be a secure site.
09:52So that was a disagreement that led to the fact that that bill did not proceed at this time.
09:59We also know, and Senator Barrasso knows well, that the appropriations bills take a very
10:04long time to wind their way through the Senate and the House, go through conference.
10:11And so really there's no reason to delay the provision in that bill that was unanimously
10:19adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee, in which Senator Barrasso said this morning, Republicans
10:25included.
10:27Well, if it was included in that bill, we should do it right now.
10:35We should get it done right now.
10:38And I'm just going to, in closing, read this resolution, because it's pretty straightforward,
10:42Mr. President.
10:44It says, in general, the Attorney General shall retain, preserve, and compile any records or
10:50evidence related to any investigation, prosecution, or incarceration of Jeffrey Epstein, and any
10:58service provided to victims identified in such investigation.
11:04Pretty straightforward.
11:05Retain the records.
11:07Don't destroy any evidence.
11:11It also called for a report.
11:12Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this act, the Attorney General shall submit
11:17to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies of the Committee of Appropriations
11:22of the Senate, a report that includes information on the history of the Jeffrey Epstein case, which
11:27shall include, one, information regarding the 2008 non-prosecution agreement between Jeffrey
11:32Epstein and the Department of Justice, two, information on victims and testimony by victims,
11:38including notification of victims under Section 3771 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, the Crime
11:46Victims' Rights Act, three, information on any investigation of a co-conspirator, four, information
11:54on any internal review of misconduct findings by the Department of Justice related to any investigation
11:58related to Jeffrey Epstein.
12:00Five, the current status of any investigation into the financial and trafficking networks
12:06of Jeffrey Epstein.
12:07Six, an intelligence assessment of the financial ties and clients of Jeffrey Epstein and any
12:13connections between Jeffrey Epstein and the United States government or foreign governments.
12:18And seven, information on the oversight failures at the Metropolitan Correction Center in New York,
12:23New York.
12:24Finally, Section C, privacy protections.
12:28The Attorney General may redact the names and personally identified information of any victim
12:34from the report submitted to Congress under subsection B as necessary to protect privacy.
12:39That's it.
12:40I wanted to read it to all the members of the Senate so everyone knows exactly what they are
12:44voting for.
12:46I want to read it to all the members of the Senate.
12:49President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, do not destroy the evidence of the Epstein files,
12:57and within 60 days present this Senate with answers to questions regarding the case.
13:06That's what this amendment does.
13:08It's exactly the same as the amendment that passed unanimously with Republican and Democratic
13:16support out of the Appropriations Committee.
13:18The same provision that Senator Barrasso this morning said was a Republican proposal.
13:23So I hope all the Republicans will join us in supporting this measure.
13:30And with that, Mr. President, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding Rule 22, I ask
13:36unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of my bill at
13:40the desk, further that the bill be considered read three times and passed, and that the motion
13:46to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
13:50Is there an objection?
13:51Mr. President.
13:52Majority what?
13:53I object.
13:54Objection is heard.
13:56Mr. President.
13:57If I could just briefly, Mr. President.
14:00Mr. President.
14:01Mr. President.
14:02Mr. President.
14:03Mr. President.
14:04Mr. President.
14:05Mr. President.
14:06Mr. President.
14:08Mr. President.
14:09I just briefly, because as I made clear, this was the very provision that Senator Barrasso
14:12this morning said that Republicans had supported, and he indicated that this was something
14:21that they wanted to see move forward.
14:24Well, that was this morning.
14:26Now it's 6 o'clock this evening.
14:28I don't know what changed.
14:31But the language is the same as what Senator Barrasso talked about this morning.
14:38It's the same as what Senate Appropriations Committee passed on a bipartisan basis.
14:43All of a sudden, when it comes time to actually get it done on the Senate floor, not just as
14:48part of an appropriations bill that's going to wind its way through this place for weeks
14:53or months, when it's time to actually get it done, Republicans are opposing the idea of
15:00transparency.
15:02Mr. President.
15:03Mr. President.
15:04I find that quite shameful.
15:07I understand my colleague from Oregon, Senator Merkley, is interested in making some points
15:13and maybe asking some questions.
15:14I yield the floor.
15:15Mr. President.
15:16Mr. President.
15:17would my colleague from Maryland yield to a question so if I understood your
15:25presentation right this is word for word exactly the same this bill as the
15:33amendment you proposed in the appropriations meeting yes that is
15:39exactly right well I tell you I read through it and it looks like to me
15:43exactly this the same and we heard from our colleague from Wyoming that this was
15:50a Republican proposal which you clarified that actually you introduced
15:55it but also observed that it was passed unanimously so I'm confused if my
16:03colleague from Wyoming liked it so much that he wanted to claim authorship and he
16:10proceeded to say we liked it so much we passed it unanimously why is he
16:17objecting now to actually getting it passed well Senator Merkley I didn't hear
16:26an explanation I heard the objection I've not heard the explanation for the
16:33objection and I think it may be difficult to provide an explanation given the
16:38fact that the senator from Wyoming was here on the floor of the Senate earlier
16:43as you and I both pointed out extolling the virtues of this amendment and in fact
16:52partially taking credit for it saying Republicans supported this and wanted it
16:59but apparently that was this morning and now is now and I suspect it's because when it
17:08was included in the appropriations bill it's included in a vehicle that as we've
17:12said will wind its way through a long road of this process who knows how many people
17:17will try to take it out behind closed doors and conference and that's why we
17:22had an opportunity right now in the light of day here in the United States Senate to
17:26actually pass this and send it off to the house immediately and if they passed it it
17:33could go to the president's desk and if you'd yield to another question yes this
17:39seems extremely well minimal that we're preserving the records earlier we asked
17:50for a vote on a bill that would be complete disclosure because we believe that
17:56disclosure is merited given a set of extraordinary circumstances extraordinary
18:03circumstances like President Trump dangling a potential pardon in front of
18:08Ms. Maxwell extraordinary circumstances like the FBI itself redacting Trump's name
18:16from documents extraordinary circumstances like the deputy attorney general Todd Blanche
18:23going and personally interviewing Ms. Maxwell and not taking along the lawyers who were experts
18:31in this case and then just shortly after she's transferred to a minimum security prison in Texas in
18:41other words rewarded in a powerful way big difference between a regular prison and a minister so we
18:48wanted disclosure and I think America wants disclosure because they want to see
18:53people held accountable who perpetrated crimes rape against young girls and yet all
19:02you're asking for is to preserve the information that it not be deleted or put
19:11into a shredder or put into a wood chipper is that right is that is that what you're asking for well that's the
19:17heart of the amendment and again I will read just the first sentence the attorney
19:23general shall retain preserve and compile any records or evidence related to any
19:29investigation prosecution or incarceration of Jeffrey Epstein and any service
19:33provided to victims identified in such an investigation it could not be clear the
19:39amendment does ask for a report on other very relevant information regarding the
19:46Epstein case but to your fundamental point here this is simply a directive not to
19:55destroy evidence that could be in the Epstein files as I said we just learned at least
20:02within the last 48 hours that somewhere along the road the FBI had redacted Donald Trump's name
20:10from the Epstein file so we we know it's in there and we know that at some point in time it was redacted we want
20:20to make sure these records are not destroyed another question if I might yes if I turn the clock back to
20:27that appropriations committee hearing where you presented your amendment and I was present was that not
20:33voted out a committee on a voice vote I guess it was it was adopted by a voice vote so the
20:43Republicans in committee said we support the idea but let's do it by voice vote because we don't want to
20:52have our names recorded yay or nay is that correct again I cannot senator read the mind of any of our our colleagues it
21:01was a voice vote but of course the objection we're seeing here on the floor of the Senate today indicates that our Republican
21:13colleagues do not want to go on record and vote when it comes right down to it on this proposal and making sure that the
21:24records are not destroyed
21:25had the senator file mean not objected we could have passed this bill today by voice vote not necessarily
21:37having a recorded vote it would have passed immediately if he had not objected to it in other
21:45words it doesn't because it doesn't even get to it that's right it would have gone directly to the House of
21:49Representatives correct so even though there was passed out a committee by voice vote and you offered
21:57a proposal simply to keep the records intact which I must say should never have to be asked anyway but why
22:07would any member of the Senate object to the principle of protecting the records I mean I'm confused don't all of us
22:17believe that when there is evidence related to a crime it should not be put into a shredder or a wood chipper
22:25it's a very fair question and as I indicated we didn't get an explanation for the objection we had the objection made and
22:36no further comment from our colleagues on the Republican side and I do think it's important that we underscore the fact for our
22:45colleagues and anybody listening that this amendment very straightforward don't destroy evidence it does also require in 60 days that a report be provided that provides certain relevant information regarding the Epstein case and I'm not sure why anybody would not want that information to be presented either I mean this is like
23:12oppose an effort to save the records don't avoid the evidence and also voting against the idea of the Attorney General providing the United States Senate with answers to some fundamental questions again as we discussed this morning the fastest and most complete way of doing it would have been to support the Senate from Oregon's motion this morning
23:40what you see request this morning just to release all the files right that's what should be done we should release the files and they should do it now
23:47you don't even have to have a vote in the house to do that the Attorney General could do what she said she was going to do and just release them on her own that's what many of us have called for that's what
23:56the Senator's motion this morning was all about but my goodness you should be releasing them but for goodness sakes why not why not at least send a directive saying don't destroy the evidence
24:15well I appreciate my colleague from Maryland bringing this this forward it seems like the absolute minimum we should do now is protect the evidence for the future certainly it should be released as both of us have spoken to I really appreciate my colleague from California
24:34who brought his legal expertise along with our colleague from Rhode Island who pointed out how extraordinary it is that a deputy attorney general would go and sit in a prison interviewing a key witness to criminal activity and that magically within hours thereafter she's transferred to minimum security and the president starts talking about the possibility of a pardon and
25:04Americans this is just stinking to high heaven and I'll repeat the point I made earlier today is no one should be above the law no powerful man should be able to rape young girls and be protected by friends in high places or by legions of lawyers or any other circumstances let the rule of law come forward in full force to hold those
25:33who have committed egregious crimes be held accountable
25:38I do not agree more Mr. President our message is simple release the damn Epstein files and for God's sakes don't try to destroy the evidence while we wait for those files to be released and I yield the floor
25:52I yield the floor
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