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This will be a short post. Surgery yesterday on my left hand has limited me to mostly hunting and pecking to type. So I’ll get right to the point.

The votes in both the House and Senate to release of the Epstein files were gratifying. And it’s about time!

There will be much drama in the wake of the vote. We have yet to see the maneuvering Republicans will engage in to circle the wagons around their loyalists within and outside of government. The main thing is that even if incomplete, when the files do come out, perhaps by the end of 30 days if and when Trump signs the bill, Americans will have access to more information than previously available. Epstein’s victims will finally have actionable grounds to seek justice.

We will also be able to see concrete information that reveals the extent to which oligarchs’ tentacles reach in our government, society, and economy. The files may not directly implicate Trump himself in specific acts of sexual depravity, but they may reveal the names of politicians, officials, industry leaders, and celebrities in Epstein’s orbit. The list will demonstrate Trump’s devotion to the elite segment of American society that he deems worthy of protection. He cares nothing for those his circle of elites exploit, whether for personal pleasure or profit, only how he can use his office to solidify the exploiters’ ability to do so.

There will be much to discuss about this in the coming weeks and months. I have some optimism about how the Epstein scandals reveal cracks in Trump’s base. I have no crystal ball to foresee if those cracks will spread.

For now, on behalf of Epstein’s victim’s, I celebrate yesterday’s votes.

It’s up to us to continue our support of the victims. We must call out everyone, regardless of party, celebrity, or other affiliation, who exploited these women and girls or who profited from that exploitation.