Democrats invoke rare Senate rule to force release of Epstein documents

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats announced Wednesday that they'll use an obscure federal law known as the "Rule of Five" in an attempt to force the Justice Department to release more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.Why it matters: Congressional Democrats are trying to capitalize on the Epstein issue, which has dogged President Trump and opened fissures between him and some of his most ardent supporters.What they're saying: "Today's letter matters," Schumer said. "It's not a stunt, it's not symbolic. It's a formal exercise of congressional power under federal law."Schumer said the request covers "all documents, files, evidence and other materials" in the Justice Department and FBI's possession related to the case.The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment, and the Justice Department declined to comment.The intrigue: The "Rule of Five" law allows any five members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to request federal agencies to provide information about "any matter within the jurisdiction of the committee."The Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives can use the same law with a group of seven members.Zoom in: Schumer said the files could be released with redactions because keeping the information of the victims private "must be of top importance.""We're not going to force any agreements that have been broken," Schumer said. "But we believe almost everything can come out."He also questioned why Trump has failed to release the documents after campaigning on their release, and after top officials such as FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi said they'd release additional information earlier this year.Democrats also called on the transcripts from the DOJ's recent interviews with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to be made public.By the numbers: According to a YouGov poll released Tuesday, 82% of Americans think the government should release all the documents it has about the case.That includes 91% of Democrats and 76% of Republicans surveyed.What we're watching: The senators requested an answer from the DOJ by Aug. 15.Schumer said that if the agencies chose to ignore their request, Democrats will take their case to the courts.Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional remarks from Schumer and context from a recent poll.

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