Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, publicly pressed the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to declassify and release any and all records pertaining to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, asserting that the American public and Epstein’s victims deserve full transparency on any potential CIA ties or knowledge of his crimes.
In a letter addressed to CIA Director John Ratcliffe and shared on the social media platform X, Mace demanded the immediate release of “any and all records, documents, photos, videos, passports and other materials” related to Epstein. She wrote: “Congress needs to know what, if any, relationship the CIA had with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Mace cited several pieces of evidence to justify her request:
- A 2011 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by Epstein’s legal team seeking confirmation of any CIA affiliation or records. The agency’s response invoked the standard “Glomar” reply—neither confirming nor denying the existence of classified material.
- Epstein’s documented connections to individuals linked to the CIA’s Iran-Contra affair in the 1980s.
- His contacts with former CIA Director William Burns (who met Epstein multiple times in 2014 after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, according to previously reported logs).
- References in Epstein’s emails and communications that allegedly touched on CIA-related matters or personnel.
“The American people—and the survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes—deserve complete transparency on whether the CIA had any affiliation with prolific sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein or had any knowledge of his nefarious activities,” Mace stated in the letter.
Her call comes amid growing scrutiny following the recent release of more than 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law in November 2025. That legislation mandated the declassification and public disclosure of federal investigative materials related to Epstein’s criminal activities.
While the Justice Department’s release included grand jury transcripts, flight logs, victim statements, and other investigative records, advocates and survivors have criticized the disclosure as incomplete. Many documents remain heavily redacted, and key sections—particularly those involving high-profile associates or intelligence-related information—are said to have been withheld or heavily censored.
Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges involving dozens of underage girls. His death triggered widespread conspiracy theories and renewed demands for accountability from powerful figures named in court documents and victim testimonies.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate and convicted accomplice, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after her 2021 conviction on sex-trafficking charges.
Mace’s letter echoes longstanding bipartisan calls—both from Republican and Democratic lawmakers—for greater disclosure on Epstein’s network and any potential involvement by federal agencies. Previous congressional inquiries and FOIA litigation have yielded limited results, often blocked by national security classifications or law-enforcement exemptions.
The South Carolina congresswoman, known for her outspoken positions on government transparency and accountability, framed the request as essential to restoring public trust in federal institutions. She emphasized that full disclosure is owed especially to Epstein’s survivors, many of whom continue to advocate for unredacted records to aid civil litigation and prevent future abuses.
As of Tuesday evening, the CIA had not issued an immediate public response to Mace’s letter. Agency spokespeople typically decline to comment on specific FOIA requests or declassification matters while they remain under review.
The renewed push comes at a time when the Trump administration has signaled a broader willingness to revisit and declassify certain historical intelligence files, though no formal commitment has been made regarding Epstein-related materials.
Survivors’ advocates welcomed Mace’s initiative but expressed caution, noting that previous high-profile demands for Epstein transparency have often stalled due to bureaucratic resistance or classified designations.
The issue remains a flashpoint in ongoing debates about elite accountability, intelligence oversight, and the public’s right to know the full scope of Epstein’s criminal enterprise.
