民主党议员于周一（10月26日）提出呼吁，距离关键的美国中期选举还有八天，要求任命特别检察官，调查唐纳德·特朗普总统与已定罪性犯罪者杰弗里·爱泼斯坦的关系。在一份长达53页的报告中，众议院司法委员会的民主党人重提了针对共和党人特朗普的性不端指控，特朗普曾是这位名誉扫地的金融家的密友。爱泼斯坦于2019年在联邦羁押期间死亡，当时他正等待涉及未成年人的性贩运指控审判，官方认定为自杀。
Democratic lawmakers called on Monday, October 26, eight days before crucial US midterm elections, for the appointment of a special counsel to probe President Donald Trump's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a 53-page report, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee revived allegations of sexual misconduct made against Republican Trump, a one-time close friend of the disgraced financier. Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges involving minors in what was determined to be a suicide.
特朗普曾抗争数月，阻止司法部（DOJ）公开所谓的“爱泼斯坦档案”，但最终签署了国会通过、要求公开这些文件的法律。这位80岁总统的名字在文件中反复出现，但他否认有任何不当行为，且未因该事件被指控任何刑事罪名。
Trump fought for months to prevent the Department of Justice (DOJ) from releasing the so-called "Epstein Files" but eventually signed a law passed by Congress requiring their publication. The 80-year-old president's name appears repeatedly in the documents but he denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any criminal offenses connected to the affair.
众议院司法委员会民主党党团首席议员杰米·拉斯金指责司法部掩盖“罪行以保护总统”。“有五名女性直接指控特朗普在爱泼斯坦的陪同或在场情况下实施强奸或性侵犯，”拉斯金说。
Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, accused the Justice Department of covering up "crimes to protect the president." "Five women have directly accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in Epstein's company or presence," Raskin said.
众议院司法委员会民主党人呼吁司法部长托德·布兰奇任命一名独立特别检察官，调查特朗普与爱泼斯坦的关系。“至少，司法部和联邦调查局为保护特朗普而非追求正义的做法，要求任命一名独立特别检察官，”他们表示。“这名特别检察官应被授权调查不仅总统……还有爱泼斯坦所有潜在的同谋和共谋者。”
The House Judiciary Committee Democrats called for Attorney General Todd Blanche to appoint an independent special counsel to investigate Trump's ties to Epstein. "At a minimum, DOJ and FBI's efforts to protect Trump rather than pursue justice require the appointment of an independent special counsel," they said. "This special counsel should be tasked with investigating not only the President... but all of Epstein's potential accomplices and co-conspirators."
不过，众议院民主党人承认，在布兰奇领导下的司法部——他是特朗普的前私人律师——不太可能“甚至采取这一最低限度的步骤”。“司法部本身现在正主导对爱泼斯坦性贩运行动的掩盖，不惜一切代价保护总统，”他们表示。“托德·布兰奇已从唐纳德·特朗普的私人律师变成了他的私人司法部长。”
The House Democrats acknowledged, however, that the DOJ under Blanche, who is Trump's former personal attorney, was unlikely to "take even this minimal step." "Determined to protect the President at any cost, DOJ itself now leads the cover-up of Epstein's sex trafficking operation," they said. "Todd Blanche has gone from being Donald Trump's personal attorney to his personal Attorney General."
白宫通讯主任史蒂文·张在X平台发帖谴责该报道，称其为“彻头彻尾的胡扯”。“这就是媒体和民主党在每个选举周期前都做的事——为了政治利益向总统兜售谎言和荒谬指控，”张说。“美国人民看穿了这堆垃圾。”在将决定国会控制权的11月3日选举前，据报道民主党已在爱泼斯坦相关事务上花费超过3500万美元。
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung denounced the report in a post on X, calling it "complete bullshit." "This is what the media and Democrats do right before every election cycle – peddle lies and ridiculous accusations against the President for political gain," Cheung said. "The American people see right through this garbage." Ahead of the November 3 elections which will decide control of Congress, Democrats have reportedly spent more than $35 million on Epstein-related s.
爱泼斯坦前女友吉斯莱恩·麦克斯韦尔，现年64岁，是唯一因与爱泼斯坦有关的罪行被定罪的人，正在因性贩运服20年刑期。麦克斯韦尔于2021年因向爱泼斯坦提供未成年少女被定罪，爱泼斯坦与有权势的商业高管、政客、名人和学者的联系，多年来引发了持续审视和阴谋论。
Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, 64, is the only person who has been convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein and is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of supplying underage girls to Epstein, whose ties to powerful business executives, politicians, celebrities and academics have fueled years of scrutiny and conspiracy theories.