Rep. Robert Garcia told Bloomberg News that Democrats would make a review of the administration’s handling of Epstein-related records a priority if they win the House on Nov. 3, with banks potentially in view.
Garcia is the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He said major banks connected to Epstein’s finances could be called to testify, Bloomberg reported. In a Sept. 16 update, the committee said its work included 19 depositions and transcribed interviews, about 65,000 pages made public and Epstein’s bank records obtained.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, enacted Nov. 19, 2025, gave the attorney general 30 days to make unclassified Department of Justice (DOJ) records related to Epstein available in searchable, downloadable form. The DOJ said its Jan. 30 release added more than 3 million pages, more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, bringing its stated total close to 3.5 million pages. The department said the release complied with the law.
At a July 15 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be attorney general, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged redaction errors, saying, “There were mistakes that were made.” He said roughly 1% of redactions needed correction after publication.
Garcia introduced H.R. 10820 on Oct. 15. The Epstein Wall Street Records Act of 2026 would direct the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to provide covered records to Congress within 90 days of enactment and make them public within 120 days. It would also require investigations of covered financial institutions and senior executives. The bill has been referred to the House Financial Services Committee and has not become law.
Bloomberg reported that Garcia has presented further disclosure and accountability as a way to pursue justice for survivors; the bill could bring banks and executives under investigation. The outlet has also described the issue as a potential Republican vulnerability in the midterms. Bloomberg reported that President Donald Trump indicated openness to releasing Epstein-related files during his 2024 campaign before later urging the public and Congress to move on. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Bloomberg News that Trump had been “totally exonerated on anything related to Epstein.”
The Nov. 3 election will determine which party leads the House and whether Garcia can pursue the proposed inquiry under Democratic leadership.
