Senate Republicans blocked a Democrat-led effort to force the Trump administration to release its Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday.
The effort to force the release of the documents was led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who introduced the measure earlier in the day as an amendment on the National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate tabled the amendment by a vote of 51-49. Two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul and Josh Hawley, voted with Democrats.
The vote comes at a moment when scrutiny around President Donald Trump and his past relationship with Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender, is at an all-time high. Democrats earlier in the week released the letter Trump reportedly sent Epstein for his 50th birthday, which features the outline of a naked woman and includes the message “may every day be a wonderful secret.” Trump has denied that the signature on the letter is his.