House Republicans have blocked a move that could've forced the Trump administration to release the files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's death and investigation.

On Monday (July 14), the House Rules Committee voted 5 to 7 against a Democratic amendment that would've allowed Congress to vote on whether the Epstein files should be made public, per Newsweek.

Controversy surrounding the files reignited after the Justice Department recently released a memo stating that Epstein didn't keep a secret list of the clients to whom he allegedly trafficked his victims.

“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” the memo read. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions.”

The DOJ also confirmed that Epstein died by suicide in custody in 2019.

"After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019," per the memo.

The memo sparked criticism from across the aisle, as Attorney General Pam Bondi previously said that the alleged Epstein list was "sitting on my desk right now to review" in February. Many Trump supporters had anticipated the release of new details on the high-profile case after the president returned to office.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk previously called on Trump to release the files "as promised" and claimed in a now-deleted social media post that the president's name appeared on the long-rumored list of celebrities connected to the alleged sex trafficker. Trump has attempted to steer conversation away from Epstein, saying he doesn't understand why people are "still talking about...this creep."

Ahead of Monday's vote, California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna brought forth an amendment to tack on to the GENIUS Act that would've forced Bondi to publish the Epstein documents on a "publicly accessible website." All but one of the GOP members of the House Rules Committee voted against the amendment.

Although there is no evidence that Trump is mentioned in any files related to Epstein, Republicans' move to block its release fueled speculation of a cover-up. See how social media users reacted to Monday's vote below.

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