US House speaker shuts down chamber to block Epstein vote

The decision to bring forward the summer recess means Republican leaders can delay a politically fraught vote on the disclosures.

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The move delays a politically fraught vote on the matter until September amid growing bipartisan pressure for transparency. It followed a key committee vote to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, to testify before Congress.

Calls to declassify Epstein-related files have intensified recently, including from supporters of President Donald Trump.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US justice department requested a meeting with Maxwell to ask: "What do you know?"

Maxwell's legal team told the BBC they were in discussions with the government and she would "always testify truthfully".