Murkowski, joining Sullivan, casts deciding vote to block release of Epstein files

Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan joined 49 other Republicans in blocking a vote aimed at forcing the Department of Justice to release its files on child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Murkowski was the last senator to vote, which made it 51-49 to table an amendment that would have required the Department of Justice to release all the Epstein files that senators of both parties claim they want to be released.

Murkowski cast the deciding vote—as the move to table the amendment would have failed 50-50 had she voted to take up the matter. You can argue that each of the 50 other Republicans, including Sullivan, cast the deciding vote to keep Epstein’s records away from the public, but she waited until the last moment to reveal her position.

In July, Murkowski told CNN, “Just deal with the Epstein thing once and for all.”

“I think if they had done it earlier on and moved on to other things, maybe we wouldn’t be in this place where everyone is now thinking about, you know, ‘What is the next big conspiracy behind all this?’” Murkowski said then.

In recent days her office has responded to constituents with a form letter saying she was disgusted with the revelations about Epstein, the lack of transparency and how she was calling on the Trump administration to “act with integrity and with full disclosure so that the victims can get the support they deserve.” She said she was asking senators on the “committees of jurisdiction" to deal with the issue.

On Wednesday she could have dealt with the Epstein thing once and for all, but sided with continued secrecy, along with Sullivan.

Reporter Jamie Dupree, who has covered Congress for nearly 40 years, wrote on X about Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s deciding vote on killing a plan to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.

Only Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Rand Paul supported the proposal, along with all Democratic senators.

Meanwhile, Rep. Nick Begich the Third has declined to sign a House petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein material. If one more representative signs, a majority of House members, 218, will be on the record in favor of taking a vote.

As the New York Times put it about the politics of this, “a vote on whether to compel the release of the files would be politically painful for Republicans who have echoed the calls of constituents who have long clamored for the material. They would have to choose between backing the voters who elected them or backing Mr. Trump in his desire to keep the matter closed.”

Senate Republicans claimed the amendment by Sen. Chuck Schumer they defeated was a violation of unwritten Senate rules, that the amendment had no business being made to the defense bill and that it was a stunt designed to put them on the spot.

All that is probably true, but it’s also true that the guy who sent Epstein a lewd birthday card and told his pal, “We have certain things in common Jeffrey,” can count on subservient senators to protect his hide. And conceal his “wonderful secret.”

Let’s see another Senate vote that follows the unwritten rules, is attached to the right bill and puts senators on the record about whether they will allow the public to learn about the sex offender and his pals.

In a Sullivan form letter to Alaskans who asked him about Epstein, he ducks the central question about keeping Epstein’s actions secret, but says he believe the Trump administration will release information that can be released, etc.

“I trust the Department of Justice to carefully consider the release of relevant materials, while simultaneously ensuring that Epstein’s victims remain protected and that legal protocols are upheld,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan’s trust in Trump knows no bounds.

“I recently stated that ‘President Trump directed the DOJ and Attorney General Bondi to release grand jury transcripts related to the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein . . . I believe the DOJ should release as much information as possible on Epstein’s horrific crimes, while protecting victims,” Sullivan’s form letter about Epstein claims.

(In fact, it was not Sullivan, but Sullivan spokeswoman Amanda Coyne who said that: “President Trump directed the DOJ and AG Bondi to release grand jury transcripts related to the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein,” Coyne wrote in July. “Senator Sullivan believes the DOJ should release as much information as possible on Epstein’s horrific crimes, while protecting victims.”)

In his Epstein form letter, Sullivan failed to mention that Bondi said in February that an Epstein client list was “sitting on my desk right now.” Or that the grand jury transcripts contain material that is already public, according to Trump court filings, and that it is the Department of Justice under Bondi that is sitting on an enormous collection of Epstein memorabilia.

I think readers should write to Sullivan, Murkowski and Begich the Third to ask if they believe that Trump is lying about the birthday card that he sent to Epstein.

We also need to hear from the delegation about the bigger question of why they are helping keep Epstein’s secrets secret. Please forward any responses to dermotmcole@gmail.com.

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