Lonsberry: GOP MUST VOTE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES

Politicians face moral choices, usually between the public’s interest and their party’s interest. Last week, Democrats in the House of Representatives had such a choice. Should they vote to reopen the government, or to keep it closed? It was in the interest of the people to vote to reopen it; it was in their party’s interest to vote against reopening it. And most Democrats failed the test – they voted overwhelmingly against reopening the government. This week, Republicans will face their test. Should they vote to release the Jeffery Epstein files, or should they vote to keep them secret? Releasing them is in the interest of the people; keeping them closed is in the interest of their party and its leader, Donald Trump. I hope they fare better than the Democrats; I hope the Republicans do the right thing. And the right thing is to release the Epstein files. Every page, picture and paragraph. Just put it all out there and let the chips fall where they may. Because the sexual abuse of minors is neither political nor partisan. We all are against it. It is not a Democrat issue or a Republican issue, it is a fundamental matter of moral truth. The Epstein matter is an example of rich and powerful people believing their money and power gave them license to sexually abuse minors, specifically underage females. There is suspicion that others beyond Jeffery Epstein engaged in this abuse, and that information about them is in the files and conclusions developed in the government’s investigation of Epstein and his crimes. Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. But the continued concealment of the entirety of the files creates the appearance of a coverup, probably intended to protect prominent men. Releasing the files will clear the decks, remove the suspicion and let the matter finally be resolved. Keeping the files closed will only fuel upset and speculation, and lead to suspicion – particularly about Donald Trump. The insistence by Trump that the files be kept secret makes him look guilty as hell. Which is surprising because none of Epstein’s victims have ever implicated Trump and most of them have specifically exonerated him, including Virginia Giuffre. So why is he hiding them? Maybe we’ll find out, and maybe we won’t. But either way, the moral duty of members of the House of Representatives is clear – they must vote to demand the release of the files. Everyone. Democrat and Republican alike. Those Republicans who bow to the president’s pressure to conceal the files are literally being accessories after the fact in the sexual abuse of underage girls. When you conceal evidence of a crime you become an accessory to that crime, when you seek to help a guilty party avoid detection and punishment, you have become a participant in that guilty party’s crime. That’s not about who you voted for last November, it’s about who you are in your heart. And you either denounce pedophiles or you don’t. You either stand with victims or you stand with victimizers. People covered for Epstein for years, swayed by his money and influence. To cover for his fellow abusers now, for whatever reason, is to be just as filthy as the others who looked the other way. And what if Trump is implicated? It doesn’t seem likely, and he’s probably just as innocent as he says, And it seems like the best way to prove his innocence would be to release the files. But what if he is implicated? Then releasing the files becomes all the more crucial. Because our commitment to our values is greater than our commitment to our president – or any person, party or influence. And anyone involved in the sexual trafficking of children must face the scorn of the people and the justice of the law. No matter who, no matter what. Which makes the duty clear. Members of the House of Representatives must vote this week to release the files – Democrats and Republicans alike. Or abandon any pretense of moral authority and decency.