U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse have asked White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to clarify her access to materials in the Epstein Files. The senators are also seeking information about her involvement in the Department of Justice’s partial release of these files, which they say did not meet the December 19 deadline set by the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act.
In a letter addressed to Wiles, Durbin and Whitehouse wrote: “In a recent Vanity Fair profile, you said you have read ‘the Epstein file’ and that President Trump ‘is in the file’; ‘was on [Epstein’s] plane’; and is ‘on the manifest.’ Please be kind enough to explain when and where and under what authority you gained access to this material.”
The senators requested that Wiles answer several questions, including:
- What were the materials in “the Epstein file” referenced in her Vanity Fair interview?
- Whether any material she reviewed had been presented to a grand jury.
- When she first accessed “the Epstein file” and details about her review schedule.
- The purpose for which she accessed this information.
- Whether she shared any information from the file with President Trump.
- Her role in reviewing, redacting, withholding, or releasing material from the “Epstein file,” including any processes involving the Department of Justice or Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A PDF copy of their letter is available online.
The Senate Judiciary Committee plays an important role in federal judicial and justice matters. It examines laws, oversees law enforcement entities, evaluates candidates for federal judicial roles, and shapes policies related to constitutional rights and public safety. More information about its work can be found on its official website. The committee is known for reviewing legislation on criminal justice issues as well as civil liberties. It operates from Washington, D.C., with members from both major political parties participating under leadership by a chairperson.
