Congressional investigators released a new staff report on the Jeffrey Epstein files Monday — days before the November 2026 midterm elections — including testimony from former Miss Switzerland contestant Beatrice Keul and internal Department of Justice records that Ranking Member Jamie Raskin says points to a “DOJ cover-up.” The White House denied every claim.
The House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff Report, published on Monday, October 26, 2026, identifies 11 women who told investigators they had direct contact with Donald Trump in the presence of Jeffrey Epstein between 1992 and 1997. Five of those women — Beatrice Keul, Stacey Williams, Jill Harth, Katie Johnson, and a Jane Doe — allege sexual assault either by Trump or in Epstein’s company. Keul, who was 24 years old in November 1993, alleges in her congressional testimony that Trump raped her at Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel during the American Dream Pageant. She also testified that pageant organizers confiscated her passport upon her arrival in New York. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis called the report a partisan distraction released ahead of the midterms and said Trump was “fully exonerated” of all claims in it.
Released days before the November 3 midterm elections, the House Judiciary report functions as an explicit blueprint for what a Democratic-controlled House would subpoena starting in January 2027. While the Department of Justice will not appoint a special counsel under the current administration, a Democratic majority would gain the authority to subpoena unredacted FBI files, summon DOJ officials, and compel public testimony from investigators and witnesses named in the staff report.
The DOJ Timeline at the Center of the Investigation
The section of the report that Ranking Member Jamie Raskin described as the legal core of his special counsel demand isn’t Beatrice Keul’s 1993 Plaza Hotel allegation — it’s what the report says happened inside the Department of Justice in more recent years.
Congressional investigators found that when Todd Blanche traveled to a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, to interview Ghislaine Maxwell — in his then-role as Deputy Attorney General — he likely already had access to internal DOJ files referencing the survivors’ accounts against Trump. The report argues that timeline is what Raskin describes as obstruction rather than investigation. Blanche has since been confirmed as Attorney General. Raskin formally demanded that Blanche appoint an independent special counsel to examine whether executive branch officials obstructed justice in handling the Epstein files. The White House rejected that demand the same day the report was published.
The FBI records section of the report adds a second strand: documents referencing modeling agent Paolo Zampolli, cited in the staff report in connection with FBI files on visa arrangements for foreign models with links to Epstein’s circle.
Both parties have weighed in on the timing. Republicans argue the Democratic staff released the report now — rather than earlier — to shape the final days of news before November 3 voting. Democrats argue the final file review was only completed in October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the House Judiciary Committee Epstein report reveal? Released on Monday, October 26, 2026, the House Judiciary Democratic staff report details accounts from 11 women linking Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein between 1992 and 1997. It includes new congressional testimony from former Miss Switzerland contestant Beatrice Keul regarding an alleged 1993 assault at the Plaza Hotel, FBI records documenting visa arrangements for foreign models, and internal DOJ files related to the Epstein investigation.
How did the White House respond to the Beatrice Keul report? Spokeswoman Lauren Bis called the report a partisan distraction ahead of the midterm elections and said Trump was “fully exonerated” of all claims in the document.
Who is Paolo Zampolli in the House Epstein report? Paolo Zampolli is a modeling agent cited in FBI records documented in the staff report in connection with visa arrangements for foreign models linked to Jeffrey Epstein’s circle.
The House Judiciary Democratic staff report is publicly available as a PDF. The next development to watch is whether the November 3 midterm results shift House control — which would change who holds subpoena authority over unredacted FBI files starting in January 2027.
