Last week at this time, Republicans were in a pickle. They were about to vote on whether to release all the files from the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein—the deceased, convicted sex offender accused of running a large sex-trafficking ring involving minors.
President Trump campaigned on releasing the files and then refused to do so. His name—and his artwork—kept appearing in periodic partial releases of the files. He tried hard to persuade Congress to drop its demand to release them, but he failed. The vote was set for this week.
Seeing that he was likely to lose, the president reversed course and told Republicans in Congress to vote to release the files.
That likely came as a relief to Ohio’s 10 Republican representatives, whose constituents wanted them to support releasing the files—but until Sunday, their president and party leader did not.
Trump’s reversal let them off the hook. Nine of the 10 GOP congressmen voted to release the files. Congressman Mike Rulli did not vote, saying he was dealing with a family emergency back home.
Ohio’s senators were also somewhat let off the hook. They did not have to officially record their votes because the bill passed the Senate on a voice vote for unanimous consent. Prior to the vote—but after Trump’s reversal—Senators Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno said they supported releasing the files.
Republican candidate for governor Vivek Ramaswamy called for releasing the files during his short 2024 presidential campaign, but he did not mention the controversy in his run for governor until this week, when he said he, too, supports releasing them.
So for now, the debate over whether to release the files has evaporated as a campaign issue since everyone wants them released.
But now we wait. The Justice Department has a month to release them, but it does not have to release all of them. Classified material and documents that are part of an ongoing investigation are exempt. Justice Department attorneys can redact names—certainly of victims, but also possibly of others.
This issue is not going away. Depending on the names, details, and possibly images and video that emerge, politicians from both parties will have to answer questions about them.
Snollygoster of the week
The best time for hard political decisions is the weeks right after Election Day. That’s why lame-duck sessions are so—ahem—productive. Outgoing lawmakers are free to be bold, and lawmakers who are staying have months and months before the next election.
Sixteen days ago, Columbus voters went to the polls, where they passed a $2 billion bond package, a new tax for the Columbus Zoo and elected establishment candidates for City Council.
Then, the week after the election, Columbus City Council announced that water rates could go up by about $150 a year. They say the money is needed to pay for a new water plant. Also, residents who get their electricity from the city’s Division of Power could see a 13% rate increase.
Then there is the case of City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy. He was re-elected earlier this month, but this week City Council voted to pay one of his former aides about $85,000, after she accused him of harassing behavior—anger harassment, not sexual harassment.
The settlement has been in the works for months. It was signed off on one month before Election Day, but City Council did not take it up until two weeks after Election Day. And when did the council vote on it? When Emmanuel Remy was out of town, attending a conference.
Now, it would not have mattered in the election because Remy ran unopposed. And he has agreed to training and promises to reform his ways.
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin said it’s time for accountability for Councilmember Remy.
So long as that time for accountability comes after Election Day.