“Rule of 5”: Democrats use 1928 law to force Trump to release Epstein files

Donald Trump has once again found himself in the eye of the storm that is the hugely controversial Epstein case.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday said House Democrats will sue the US Department of Justice using a near century-old and obscure federal law. Known as the “Rule of Five”, Democrats invoked the 1928 law to force Trump into releasing the Epstein files.

For context - The 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 latest move comes after several failed attempts to get the Epstein files released. The DoJ first sought court permission on July 18 to make public transcripts of the confidential grand jury testimony. But Manhattan-based US District Judges asked the government to flesh out the legal basis for the requests.

Also watch: Trump claims Epstein 'took' women from his Mar-a-Lago resort spa

This was after the DoJ released a memo which reiterated that Epstein had indeed died by suicide and the infamous “client list” did not exist. Later Senate Republicans blocked an Epstein resolution on the House floor and had their counterproposals also shot down by Democrats.

Last week, Speaker Mike Johnson ultimately cancelled the House’s final day of votes before the summer recess with Schumer dubbing it “the Epstein recess.” This even as a Republican-led Congressional committee denied Epstein associate and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell’s request for immunity in turn for her testimony.

Also watch: Ghislaine Maxwell grilled by US DoJ as she looks to get out of jail

Trump had campaigned on the promise that, if re-elected as US President, he would release any and all Epstein case files. Democrats hope that their latest move will further rile up Trump’s MAGA base that have been left frustrated with his failure to do so.