7 flashpoints revive Epstein scrutiny

Catch up quick: The Department of Justice released millions of Epstein-related records last winter after Congress required their disclosure.

• The records detailed Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and their relationships with prominent figures.
• The Trump administration's handling of the release drew immediate scrutiny.
• The case has recently resurfaced on Capitol Hill, in court and in public interviews.

Tillis conditions Blanche vote

Driving the news: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he would not vote to confirm Todd Blanche to the full-time role unless Blanche met with survivors of Epstein's abuse, who have long criticized the DOJ's handling of the investigation.

• Blanche met with survivors of Epstein's abuse last week, but they said the meeting felt more like a box-checking exercise than a substantive conversation.

Epstein survivors speak out against Blanche

Multiple survivors of Epstein's abuse criticized Blanche after the meeting.

• Annie Farmer, an accuser of Epstein and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, said Blanche was "abrasive, condescending, and intentionally noncommittal to survivors."
• Dani Bensky, a survivor who testified against Blanche befor the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, told MS Now the meeting was not "substantive" or "productive."

Judge order on Epstein files

State of play: At the end of June, a federal judge ordered the DOJ to release additional records in the Epstein probe — or explain why it couldn't.

• The judge ordered the DOJ to comply with a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit that alleged the department failed to comply with last year's Epstein Act.
• Days later, the DOJ said it would not release additional unredacted records because it had already complied with the law.

Democrats probe possible foreign ties

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) launched an inquiry Tuesday into whether Epstein acted as an unregistered foreign agent and tried to leverage his relationship with President Trump.

• Raskin said Epstein "acted aggressively on behalf of multiple foreign governments" and yet "never registered as a foreign agent."

What's next: Raskin gave the government a deadline of 5pm ET Aug. 3 to provide records tied to Epstein's connections with 19 different countries.

Vance says U.S. mishandled Epstein files

Vance said on "The Joe Rogan Experience" that the Trump administration "mishandled" the release of the Epstein files.

• "If people want to say we mishandled the Epstein release, guilty. We did mishandle it," Vance told Rogan.

Buffett on Gates and Epstein relationship

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett told CNBC last week that Bill Gates' relationship with Epstein was "distasteful."

• His comments came after Buffett's firm Berkshire Hathaway stopped donating to the Gates Foundation for the first time in two decades.

Gates' relationship with Epstein had drawn scrutiny for years. He told Axios in 2019 that he regretted meeting Epstein.

Gates Foundation finishes review

The Gates Foundation released a three-page summary Tuesday of an external review into its ties to Epstein.

• The review found no evidence Epstein was paid by the foundation or that foundation officials knew about his sex trafficking.
• The foundation said earlier in 2026 that it regretted having employees who interacted with Epstein.

The bottom line: The Epstein case is again becoming a test of how public institutions and prominent figures respond to unresolved questions, survivors' criticism and demands for further disclosure.

Go deeper: The Epstein files: Here is what's in them and what's still missing