Rep. Jamie Raskin said Democrats are evaluating several responses after the Trump administration released heavily redacted Jeffrey Epstein documents. He cautioned that Democratic members may lack legal standing to sue, while noting Speaker Mike Johnson would likely have standing. Raskin said litigation remains a possibility and that impeachment would only be pursued if it could realistically succeed with bipartisan support.
Raskin: Democrats Weigh Legal Action As Heavily Redacted Epstein Files Spark Scrutiny
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said on Sunday that Democrats are exploring multiple responses after the Trump administration released a large batch of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that contained extensive redactions.
In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, Raskin said members of his party are still weighing their options but cautioned it is unclear whether Democrats have legal standing to sue to force the release of the remaining files. He noted that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would likely have standing, while courts often apply restrictive rules to the standing of individual members or a minority caucus.
'It's not clear that we have got standing,' Raskin said. 'Speaker Mike Johnson would clearly have standing... but the court rules about standing of individual members, or the minority caucus, are very restrictive and hostile.'
Raskin added that Democrats will continue to apply public pressure and 'do whatever we can to elevate this' as they consider legal options. 'If it's possible, we will be bringing litigation, but we're trying to work that through right now,' he said.
When asked about calls from some Democrats to open an impeachment inquiry into Attorney General Pam Bondi, Raskin said impeachment is 'on the table' only if it has a realistic chance of success. He stressed the practical limits of a purely partisan effort in a Congress controlled by Republicans and urged Democrats to seek GOP support before pursuing impeachment votes.
'Bring me some Republicans, and we can have a conversation,' Raskin said, warning that impeachment attempts without bipartisan backing would be quickly dismissed and serve mainly as political theater. He emphasized the immediate priority is obtaining and releasing the full documents.
The situation remains fluid: Democrats say they will press for greater transparency while weighing litigation and other avenues to compel fuller disclosure of the Epstein-related records.
