Utah Sen. Mike Lee joined Republicans on Thursday in killing an effort to pressure the Trump administration to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein—just one day after reports emerged that President Donald Trump’s name appears multiple times in “truckloads” of documents related to the convicted sex trafficker.
The vote came during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing as New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker attempted to attach an amendment to a bipartisan legislation targeting opioid trafficking that would have kept the bill from going into effect until the Epstein files are released.
"The Department of Justice, we know clearly has lied to the American people one way or another," Booker said.
Published reports on Wednesday said that Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the "truckload" of documents that the Justice Department had related to Epstein.
Earlier this month, the FBI released a memo concluding that the long-rumored Epstein client list did not exist and that there was no evidence of foul play related to his death.
"So what's the lie? That there are truckloads of evidence and this DOJ is protecting those associates with this horrific crime," Booker said. "Or is the lie that there is nothing there at all?"
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn moved to neutralize Booker’s maneuver, proposing a substitute amendment that blocked the Epstein transparency requirement.
"Nothing we are voting on today is going to change any of the debate about the Epstein files," Cornyn said.
Lee sided with the other Republicans on the committee by voting for Cornyn’s amendment. As Democrats cast their votes, they didn't mince words: "No on concealing the Epstein files."
Last week during a podcast interview, Sen. Lee said he would be in favor of having longtime Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell testify before Congress.
