PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley is co-leading an effort in the Senate for authorities to publicly release records tied to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.

Sen. Merkley and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would direct the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to publicly release records related to Epstein, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, travel logs associated with Epstein and records of government officials named in connection to Epstein.

The senators said publicly releasing the files is “critical” to restoring public trust in government, noting their bill would allow some redactions to protect victim privacy and national security “while explicitly prohibiting redactions based on reputational harm or political sensitivity.”

“The rich and powerful cannot use their influence, money, and connections to cover up the abuse of our most vulnerable,” Merkley said in a statement. “We have a government of ‘We the People,’ not ‘We the Powerful.’ To restore the public’s trust, the American people deserve the truth about Jeffrey Epstein and those connected to him.”

In a press release, the senators criticized President Trump’s handling of the Epstein documents and pointed to reporting from the Wall Street Journal that the DOJ told Trump that his name was in the files. This comes as the president has recently called for his supporters to drop the Epstein issue, as reported by The Hill.

“President Trump promised the American people transparency and accountability on Jeffrey Epstein and his horrible crimes. The Trump administration has failed to deliver on this promise and as a result has lost the trust of the American people,” Sen. Luján said. “That’s why I’m partnering with Senator Merkley to launch this effort to provide the public with full transparency relating to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and help deliver justice for the victims.”

KOIN 6 News has reached out to the Department of Justice for a response to the bill’s introduction. This story will be updated if we receive a response.

The bill is cosponsored by several Democratic lawmakers including, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Earlier in July, Congressmen Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced a bipartisan resolution requiring the Epstein Files Transparency Act to be considered.

The bill comes amid Trump’s recent comments on Epstein at a press conference in Scotland on Monday, saying he ended his friendship with Epstein more than 20 years ago after “he did something that was inappropriate,” The Hill reports, noting Trump said Epstein stole employees who were working for him at Mar-a-Lago.

“He hired help and I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again,’” Trump said. “He stole people that worked for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata.”

The president also denied visiting Epstein’s private Carribean island.