U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett told participants in a virtual town hall July 15 he thinks the administration “mishandled” the rollout of the Jeffrey Epstein files, joining a growing number of Republicans who are calling for transparency in the case from President Donald Trump.
Burchett, a firm supporter of the president and self-described as “far right” on the political spectrum, said he supports FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino in the high-stakes intraparty fight with Attorney General Pam Bondi over how information from the investigation into the high-profile and well-connected sex offender Epstein has been kept under wraps.
“We need to get the information out,” Burchett said. “I’m disappointed by Miss Bondi by saying there’s a list on her desk and saying the next week there is no list. I stand by Kash Patel and Dan Bongino.”
In an interview earlier in the day, he told a CNN reporter he didn’t trust the Department of Justice on the issue.
Burchett hosted the virtual town hall, in which callers were screened before they were allowed to ask questions, to discuss his support of Trump’s domestic policy and the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
A question from one caller about accountability and transparency revealed the wedge that’s forming between the president and his MAGA base. A Justice Department report released July 7 said there is no “Epstein client list,” contrary to claims spread by Trump and top officials in his administration for years.
Burchett’s Republican colleagues on the House’s Rules Committee, put in the awkward position of choosing sides between their base and their patron, blocked an effort July 14 by Democrats to push for the files to be released.
Burchett asked U.S. Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, to invite or subpoena Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to testify.
“The American people have questions about the case involving Jeffrey Epstein. It is well beyond time those questions are answers,” he wrote.
Trump has pushed for his supporters to move on from the issue of Epstein, writing in a July 12 social media post, “We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening.”
Burchett and the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
Burchett, who often votes against bills that add to the deficit, voted “yes” on the bill that the Congressional Budget Office says will increase the national debt by $3.3 trillion over 10 years.
“After numerous discussions with President Trump, Speaker Johnson, and my colleagues in the House, I decided that a YES vote is the best way to help the people of East Tennessee,” he said in a news release.
His reasoning? To pay for top Trump priorities such as border security, a permanent extension of tax cuts, fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate most taxes on tips, providing tax breaks on American cars and creating tax deductions for seniors on Social Security income.
Burchett often finds himself in the minority among his GOP colleagues on bills he says add to the federal debt. Once Trump took office, Burchett began to prioritize the president’s agenda even when it has ballooned federal spending.
Burchett and several other Republicans, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, met with Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House the day before the vote. Burchett said, in a post on X, the meeting was “very productive.”
“The president was wonderful as always, informative, funny, told me he likes seeing me on TV, which is kind of cool,” he said in a video. “Hopefully we get this thing worked out.”
Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tim Burchett says he doesn’t trust Justice Department over Epstein files