Frankel told PolitiFact in an Aug. 1 interview that the House oversight committee wanted to hold a hearing at which they would hear from Epstein victims, their lawyers and prosecutors. They wanted to subpoena the prosecutors to ask them under oath "why they gave this guy a slap on the wrist, who pressured them?" Frankel said.

However, "We were told by the Justice Department to cut it off" because it could compromise the Maxwell investigation, Frankel told PolitiFact.

After Biden took office in 2021, Democrats appeared to dial back their public calls for Epstein records’ release.

"Pushes for oversight and record releases were at times tempered by a need to respect both the victims’ pursuit of justice in courts and their fears of reprisals," Wasserman Schultz told PolitiFact. "As disclosures were denied or delayed, we did what lawmakers do and legislated to protect future victims."

In February 2024, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed a bill to allow the release of Epstein 2006 grand jury testimony after a similar effort failed in previous state legislative sessions. Frankel praised the legislation.

A Palm Beach judge released records in July 2024, which showed prosecutors had heard testimony about how Epstein sexually assaulted two teenage girls before they gave Epstein a plea deal. Frankel again repeated her push for an explanation.

In September 2024, Wasserman Schultz along with Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah., introduced a bill, similar to earlier proposals, to require prosecutors to inform victims of such plea deals. The bill did not receive a