The Brief

The House Oversight Committee is expecting to get hundreds of documents on Friday related to the Justice Department's investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein case.

The release will mark the first wave of files to be sent to the committee in response to a congressional subpoena issued earlier this month calling on the DOJ to provide records from its probe of the convicted sex-offender and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has said at least some of those files will eventually be made public.

"We're going to be transparent. We're doing what we said we would do. We're getting the documents," Comer told reporters on Capitol Hill this week. "And I believe the White House will work with us."

The handling of the Epstein case represents a delicate dance for congressional Republicans. On the one hand, they're navigating pressure for more transparency from their base. On the other hand, the release risks exposing potentially embarrassing details about the government's handling of the Epstein investigation, as well as President Trump's own past ties to the disgraced financier. Trump has long maintained his friendship with Epstein ended before he was indicted for soliciting prostitution in 2006.

Earlier this month, Comer issued 11 subpoenas seeking the DOJ files, as well as testimony from high-profile witnesses. In addition to Maxwell, the list includes former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as top law enforcement officials from previous administrations, including former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller and former Attorneys General Merrick Garland and Bill Barr.

Epstein died by suicide in prison six years ago this month while waiting to go on trial on sex trafficking charges — fueling conspiracy theories of a cover-up.

On the campaign trail, Trump and other Republicans promised to release the Epstein files if they came to power. But the administration has been facing blowback since July, when Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department and the FBI had found no evidence that Epstein had a "client list" or that he blackmailed prominent associates.

The committee's review

Comer told reporters on Capitol Hill this week he wasn't sure what the committee would receive from the Justice Department on Friday. But he said he expected there would be a lot to review.

"I'm confident there are hundreds and hundreds of pages because you have two people that were charged, so there has to be a lot of evidence there," Comer said.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., speaks to reporters in the Rayburn House Office Building on July 24. Comer says his committee will begin receiving records related to the Justice Department's Jeffrey Epstein investigation starting on Friday.

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Comer said the Justice Department would conduct its own review of what should be redacted in the files. He expected the committee to also do a separate review.

Critics — including some Republicans — say they're worried the release will be far from comprehensive. Democrats have argued the release to the public will be limited and carefully controlled by Republicans.

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the committee's top minority member, noted the panel delivered a bipartisan vote for complete compliance with the subpoena demanding DOJ records.

"Releasing the Epstein files in batches just continues this White House cover-up," Garcia said in a statement this week. "Handpicked, partial productions are wholly insufficient and potentially misleading."

The unsuccessful push for grand jury testimony

Last month, Trump asked for related grand jury transcripts to be made public. However, three federal judges have ruled against the plan.

The latest ruling came on Wednesday, when U.S. District Judge Richard Berman of Manhattan said there wasn't sufficient justification to unseal the records. He also said the thousands of pages the government has in its possession would go further to inform the public than what the government asked to be unsealed. Berman said the grand jury materials requested totaled 70 pages of summary testimony from a single FBI agent, a power point exhibit and four pages of call logs.

The Oversight committee's work is not the only effort in Congress to release Epstein records to the public. With Congress due to return after Labor Day, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., plans to force a House vote on releasing the records.

Critical of his party's response to the records demands, Massie teamed up with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., for the bipartisan effort. The two plan to hold a press conference the day after the House's return with Epstein survivors.
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Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a man who appeared to be armed with a rifle outside the California Science Center in Exposition Park on Thursday morning, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Marc Reina.

Reina said police do not yet know the identity of man, who they estimate was about 35 years old.

No police or other community members were injured in the incident, Reina said. The science center was placed briefly on lockdown but reopened. The north side of the museum remains closed, the deputy chief said.

Reina said a motorcycle cop initially spotted the man around 9:30 a.m. carrying what appeared to be a rifle and walking west down State Drive, a small road that runs between the science center and Exposition Park Rose Garden.

Multiple cops responded to the scene and faced off with the man. The subject continued down State Drive, Reina said, before police opened fire.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene and pronounced the man dead, Reina said.

The incident will be investigated by department use-of-force investigators, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the LAPD’s inspector general, the deputy chief said.

Investigators have not yet determined what prompted police to open fire, Reina said. Police do not believe the man fired his weapon.

Here's what witnesses saw

Stacey Hutchinson said he was sitting on a bench along State Drive drinking a cup of coffee when the incident unfolded.

He said the man appeared in good spirits and greeted him nonchalantly as he walked up the street before taking a seat. Hutchinson said he saw the man carrying what appeared to be a long gun.

Police initially responded with bean bag guns, Hutchinson said, but drew firearms when the man picked up the weapon.

Police opened fire after the man pointed the apparent rifle in their direction, Hutchinson said.

The man did not appear to be trying to enter the science center, Hutchinson said, and appeared to remain calm until police asked him to drop his weapon.