Bradley Edwards, who has represented over 200 victims of Jeffrey Epstein, has rebuked people “salivating over scandal” and called for files related to the late convicted sex offender to be released.

Edwards told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell Wednesday night, “ The victims generally — and as you said, I've represented over 200 of them, not every one of them is the same — but for the most part, all of them want to heal. And they deserve to heal.

And the only way they're going to heal now is if full transparency happens. Release the files, release everything in them, except the victims' names. Protect the victims, protect their privacy, release everything else.”

The lawyer continued:  “There's a solution to every single problem that has come up and a quick solution. It doesn't seem like people want it; it seems like it's being driven by salivating over scandal as opposed to dissemination of the truth.”

The Trump administration tried to release grand jury transcripts related to investigations into Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, after pushback, including from its own base, but the courts denied their request.

Edwards called the grand jury materials “basically worthless.”

The grand jury transcripts are believed to be only part of the files related to Epstein.

Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Texas Democrat, called on Republicans to “stop playing defense and let the truth come out” after a House subcommittee voted to subpoena the Justice Department for files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The motion passed in an 8-2 vote Wednesday, with five Democrats and three Republicans supporting it.

“My colleague, @RepSummerLee, filed a motion in an Oversight subcommittee to subpoena the Epstein files, and it passed,” Crockett wrote on X. “Now let’s see if the rest of the Republicans will stop playing defense and let the truth come out.”

The Trump administration tried to release certain Epstein files after pushback, including from its own base, but the courts denied their request.

House Speaker Mike Johnson shut down the House early on Tuesday ahead of its August recess in order to block Democrats from bringing up amendments calling for the release of the Epstein files.

Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to restore a federal funding cut over claims it failed to combat antisemitism on campus, the university announced Wednesday.

The Ivy League school will pay a $200 million settlement to the federal government over three years, the university said. It will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty," acting University President Claire Shipman said.

Read more from Samantha Beech:

Representative Summer Lee, a Pennsylvania Democrat, successfully moved to subpoena the Justice Department for files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and later called Republicans “hypocrites.”

Lee, along with four other Democrats and three Republicans on a House subcommittee, voted to subpoena the files.

Republicans also added that former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and others be subpoenaed as well.

This follows allegations from the Trump administration that Obama and his top officials orchestrated a “years-long coup” to keep Trump from the White House, with assessments that Russia interfered with the 2016 election.

Through a spokesperson, Obama said, “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”

Speaking to MSNBC’s Jen Psaki Wednesday night, Lee said of Republicans, “They are desperate for this narrative that Democrats are trying to protect their own, and we're trying to protect our own...They were just trying to make this a both-sides thing to make up for the fact that they were being hypocrites, that they said that this is what they want...We saw that they ran on this in the last election.”

“So they're just trying to distract from the fact that they're being hypocrites, that they know that they're choosing to protect Donald Trump over the very victims that they keep giving lip service to, that they're choosing to protect Donald Trump over transparency for the American people,” Lee added.

The Trump administration has faced backlash, including from its own base, after the president promised for years to release the so-called Epstein files.

On Trump’s orders, the Justice Department requested the release of grand jury transcripts related to investigations into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, but the courts denied them.

Trump has also faced scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein from decades ago and the possibility that he is mentioned in the Epstein files. Appearing in the files does not necessarily indicate that an individual has committed any wrongdoing.

Appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Tuesday to discuss the revived furore over Epstein after Trump’s Justice Department said that no “client list” belonging to the late billionaire pedophile existed, Ian Maxwell once more defended Ghislaine, who was jailed in 2022 for her role in the disgraced financier’s sex trafficking operation.

Maxwell told Morgan: “President Trump was asked the only time, I believe, in public – at the tail end of his presidency, so, you know, November, December 2021 [sic] – about Ghislaine and he said, ‘You know, I don’t know much about it, but I wish her well.’

“And I don’t think that anyone else showed the slightest piece of humanity, not anybody at that time, and yet he did. He didn’t need to. He’s the president of the United States, the most powerful man in the world. He could’ve just sloughed it off. He didn’t. He made a positive statement. I am very grateful to that and I know Ghislaine was too.”

Read more from Joe Sommerlad:

The controversial Army parade through Washington, D.C., in June that coincided with Donald Trump’s birthday cost the service branch $30 million, it announced on Wednesday.

“I can confirm the total for the Army festival and parade cost approximately $30 million,” an Army spokesperson told The Hill.

The event, marking the 250th anniversary of the Army, was projected to cost between $25 million and $45 million, not accounting for the cost of police and street repairs tied to the event

In addition to cost overruns, some worried the event would damage Washington's infrastructure, though an Army spokesperson said in late June the procession of military hardware had only been shown to damage a single curb, which the Army planned to repair.

Read more from Josh Marcus:

Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, appeared to throw a jab at former President Barack Obama after a judge denied the release of certain files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Earlier Wednesday, judges in New York and Florida rejected requests from the Justice Department to unseal grand jury transcripts related to investigations into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk wrote on X in response, “President Trump’s DOJ moved to release valuable Epstein information and a federal judge is blocking their pursuit of transparency. Are you paying attention yet?”

He also mentioned the judge in Florida was appointed by Obama.

Trump Jr. then replied to Kirk’s comments on X: “I wonder why an Obama appointed judge would do such things?”

It seems the president’s son was referring to allegations from the Trump administration that Obama and his top officials orchestrated a “years-long coup” to keep Trump from the White House, with assessments that Russia interfered with the 2016 election.

Through a spokesperson, Obama said, “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”

The Trump administration is facing backlash, including from its base, over its handling of the Epstein files.

President Donald Trump’s order seeking to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.

The ruling comes after the push was also blocked by a federal judge in New Hampshire, and puts the issue one step closer to quickly coming back before the Supreme Court.

More to follow with Mike Bedigan:

Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, claimed assessments that Russia interfered with the 2016 election, which he and President Donald Trump call a “hoax,” was created by partisans because “they were mad at the voters for electing Trump.”

Cruz told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham Wednesday night, “These partisans are so contemptuous of the American people—what was the Russia hoax about? It was about subverting democracy. They were mad at the voters for electing Trump.”

The Trump administration has been pushing claims that former President Barack Obama and his top officials orchestrated a “years-long coup” to keep Trump from the White House with so-called Russiagate.

Through a spokesperson, Obama said, “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”

The allegations come as the White House is embroiled in its own controversy over its handling of the files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.