A bipartisan group of lawmakers defied House GOP leadership and voted in support of an effort to force the Justice Department to turn over the Jeffrey Epstein files to Congress.

An ongoing furor around the government’s investigation of the disgraced financier has done more than fracture President Donald Trump’s base. It has also injected a volatile new element into midterm elections and created an opening for Democrats scrambling to exploit any perceived Republican weakness as they work to retake the House.

Democrats never cared about Epstein or his victims when until they saw an opportunity to exploit it for political gain.

Democrats have taken renewed interest in Epstein, a wealthy financier who was accused of sexually abusing, trafficking and abusing children for years prior to his death behind bars in 2019.

Oklahoma Congressman Kevin Hern discusses Epstein case fallout, criticizes Democrats for politicizing the situation. Hern advocates for transparency on case files.

As anger mounts over the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, Democrats are trying to capitalize.

President Donald Trump was reportedly told his name is in the Epstein files weeks before the Justice Department declined to release them.