Recently, several of us Ripples staff members had a substitute teacher in our economics class. The sub was a former SHS teacher who is extremely knowledgeable about current events, politics, and American history. Our teacher planned for us to ask the sub questions we had about politics, as a way to stay informed and gain a better understanding of the current political landscape. Eventually, as was probably inevitable, the discussion cycled through the most prescient topics: the government shutdown, the President’s felonies, and finally, the Epstein files.

The term “Epstein Files” has become a bit of a buzz word in the past couple months, but several in the room had no idea what the term actually meant. For any readers who are feeling uninformed themselves, the files are a collection of various documents collected by the FBI including the infamous list of names, that are related to the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein, a known sex trafficker.

There is a proposed law called the Epstein Files Transparency Act that would declassify these documents in their entirety if passed. Many people believe this is necessary, but the GOP has quashed this plea for disclosure. According to the New York Times, an anonymous official called Rep. Thomas Massie’s petition to release the files “a very hostile act to the administration.”

The disclosure of these files being viewed as a “hostile act” by many is concerning. This official is not alone, as the vast majority of House Republicans have not signed the discharge petition that would force a vote on the release of the files. While our substitute teacher pointed out that some people may be worried about guilt by association since the documents are so extensive, the fact that some of our public officials may be implicated in these files is something we as a population need to be informed of. If it is true that they participated in the crimes, they cannot be allowed to enjoy secrecy. These offenses are extremely serious, and above all, public officials should not be criminals, and vice versa.

The people arguing that the release of these files is inconsiderate of the privacy of the people named therein, especially those who are public officials, are forgetting what it means to be a public servant. Public servants have a duty to uphold relatively high moral standards and to act in ways that contribute to the benefit of our society. If they are not acting in such a manner, it is our right to know so that we can advocate for and work towards higher standards — not the complete opposite: abuse of minors.

Although public officials are (and should be) entitled to privacy, they also represent and influence the public. A matter like this should not be considered an invasion of privacy; it is the right of the people to know if the officials representing and influencing them were involved in sex trafficking of minors. We should be able to make informed decisions when we elect these figures, and a great deal of citizens would prefer not to be under the governance of a sex offender. That kind of information should not be private.

There is also a great deal of controversy regarding the presence of Trump’s name in the files, with him, of course, being the highest ranking public official in our country. The President, who received over 77 million votes in the last election (CNN), should not be immune to any type of repercussions that come with being friends with a known sex trafficker. It does a disservice not only to those who oppose him, but it also takes advantage of those who voted for him. It would be a ridiculous claim to say that all Trump supporters are on the same moral ground as he is, as many are in fact, not supportive of pedophiles. However, Trump continues to ignore their pleas to release the files as well — one of the most pressing examples of exploiting his own base to hold onto power. 

Many allies of Trump (and by extension Epstein), often counter this discussion with the cry of “What about Democrats in the files? What about the Clintons?” Within this argument, Trump allies seem to forget that being a bad person is not a partisan issue. There are significant amounts of evidence that major past and present leaders across both parties are in the files or have strong connections to Epstein. However, party affiliation does not excuse immoral behavior. If there are major Democratic leaders in the Epstein files, the public still has a right to know. Being more progressive than Republicans in terms of politics is not some ‘get out of jail free’ card to excuse sex abuse. At the same time, neither is being the current president. 

Republicans who continue to deny the release of the Epstein files are not worthy of the title of “public servant.” Public servants should be working harder than ever to hold themselves to a higher standard and vote in the interests of their constituents — not doing the complete opposite. At the heart of the issue, the controversy about the Epstein files is not a debate over privacy and intraparty disagreements; it’s about dozens of sexually assaulted women and girls who are being squashed by the political machine.