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The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Rep. Robert Garcia, Democrat of California, that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected Feb. 15, 2026.
ED O'KEEFE: Welcome backmost to Face the Nation. We crook present to the apical Democrat connected the House Oversight Committee, California Congressman Robert Garcia, who joins america this greeting from Long Beach, wherever helium utilized to beryllium the mayor. Congressman, bully to spot you. Thank you for being with us.
REP. ROBERT GARCIA: Sure thing, convey you.
ED O'KEEFE: I privation to commencement existent speedy due to the fact that you are connected the committee that fundamentally has oversight of the full government. You're Democrats. You don't person power of the panel. You've held immoderate unofficial hearings connected ICE operations nationwide. I'm funny if you're talking to the Republicans astatine each astir doing thing to analyse allegations of wrongdoing of ICE and the Border Patrol arsenic they proceed to transportation connected migration enforcement operations.
REP. GARCIA: Look, I deliberation it's conscionable been precise precocious we really spot much and much Republicans really talk retired and statesman to amusement immoderate level of courage. ICE, CBP, DHS is wholly retired of control. We person heard, not conscionable successful hearings, but surely successful looking astatine what's happening crossed this state and folks talking and telling their stories. We're talking astir U.S, citizens that are being shot. We're talking astir U.S. veterans that are being detained for nary reason. Children that are being deported arsenic young arsenic 4 oregon 5 years old, sending to detention successful different cases, arsenic we've seen. And truthful I deliberation you're opening to spot immoderate Republicans really amusement concern. But, close now, DHS is causing panic crossed this country, and Donald Trump has turned not conscionable DHS, but ICE specifically, which we present cognize is larger than it's ever been, into his ain idiosyncratic constabulary force.
ED O'KEEFE: But you cognize of nary Republican committee president presently readying to analyse each these allegations, right? Is that what you're saying?
REP. GARCIA: Oh, there's nary chairmen retired determination that person travel retired publicly. Now, you statesman to perceive immoderate Republicans amusement immoderate concern, but they request to amusement much courage. I mean, Mike Johnson, astatine the extremity of the day, does immoderate Donald Trump wants him to do--
ED O'KEEFE: --Yeah--
REP. GARCIA: --and Republicans request to spell retired determination and commencement speaking the information of what's happening connected the street.
ED O'KEEFE: So the large crushed I wanted to talk with you this greeting is, of course, you're present trying to behaviour a beauteous assertive reappraisal of the Epstein documents, arsenic they've present been released by the Justice Department. There person been astir 3 and a fractional cardinal documents released, and based connected a CBS News review, truthful acold determination doesn't look to beryllium capable grounds to criminally complaint anyone else. Saturday night, the Department of Justice released this legally required database of each authorities officials and politically exposed persons successful the Epstein files. More than 300 names connected the database which they admit are radical who are present listed successful a wide assortment of contexts. DOJ says they're doing this inquire due to the fact that it was portion of the law. It lists everyone from Beyonce to Joe Biden, George W. Bush, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, Mike Pence, the Trumps, Mark Zuckerberg, among others, due to the fact that they came up successful 1 mode oregon different successful the documents. A fewer questions, wherefore was this asked for? And are you alert yet of immoderate names being not connected this database that should beryllium connected the list?
REP. GARCIA: We're reviewing that list, of course, but let's, let's beryllium truly clear, this is simply a monolithic screen up being led by the White House and the DOJ. The information that 50%, fractional of the Epstein files person not been released to the nationalist and to the Congress, and of those that person been released, the existent files that person been retired successful the nationalist oregon that we've seen, they're overly redacted. Many of the survivors and victims, their names are really appearing with wherever there's nary extortion for the survivors. Yet, the names of billionaires, the names of folks that could beryllium co-conspirators that helped money Jeffrey Epstein, that could person really been progressive successful the panic and rape, arsenic we know, maltreatment of women and children, immoderate of those names proceed to beryllium redacted and protected. Why won't the DOJ really travel the law? Not conscionable of what was passed by Congress but the subpoena that was enactment successful spot by the Oversight Committee during the summer. And truthful this continues to beryllium a screen up, and the American nationalist understands that they proceed to fell and support and deflect. Why does Donald Trump, the president proceed to, successful our opinion, to support these almighty men? We're not going to halt until we get justness for the survivors.
ED O'KEEFE: The Justice Department says they released everything they can, and the remainder are protected by lawyer privilege, incorporate unfortunate accusation oregon incorporate kid intersexual battle material. I cognize there's been a backmost and distant successful caller days astir a fistful of names that were redacted, should person been unredacted. Turns out, they didn't person thing to bash with it. They conscionable happened to beryllium successful an lawsuit oregon successful a photograph with Jeffrey Epstein, basically. But I privation to inquire you astir your investigation, a legislature investigation. You told the lawyer wide connected Friday, it would instrumentality much than 7 years for members to cheque the redactions connected those 3 cardinal pages, which sounds unrealistic, but is it your intent to reappraisal each of those documents to spot what different accusation is there? What different names are either mentioned oregon missing?
REP. GARCIA: Absolutely. Look, we person a large squad connected the committee that's reviewing, close now, each azygous document, going done each the files that are disposable to the public, looking astatine redactions, trying to recognize and piecing unneurotic an investigation. And it's not conscionable the documents. We're interviewing survivors. We're talking to cardinal witnesses.
ED O'KEEFE: Right.
REP. GARCIA: We're going to beryllium holding hearings successful the aboriginal arsenic well. So each of that is portion of this, but astatine the extremity of the day, they person not fixed america each the documents. So until we really get the afloat acceptable of files, this is not going to beryllium a implicit investigation, and the screen up that's being led by the White House and Pam Bondi is continuing, and the American nationalist sees this, and truthful they request to merchandise each of the files.
ED O'KEEFE: All right. Well, moving with what you've got truthful far, what are you looking for specifically? Are determination names? Are determination events? Are determination situations to clarify that they've been released oregon that they're retired there? What is it you're looking for?
REP. GARCIA: Look, there's a assortment of things. Number 1 is we privation to guarantee that each the names of the men that either were co-conspirators, those that themselves terrorized and brutalized women and children, those radical request to beryllium exposed. That enactment has begun. An further portion of this is who is financing Jeffrey Epstein? So, for example, this upcoming week, we'll beryllium interviewing Les Wexner, who is apt person been the azygous largest benefactor successful providing fiscal enactment to Jeffrey Epstein. Where did helium get each of his wealth and for what? And wherever was that wealth going? That is different captious portion of this investigation. We've subpoenaed besides the slope records, truthful we're going done each those and that accusation is captious to our investigation. And then, of course, is who was progressive successful the trafficking of girls and women? It wasn't conscionable Ghislaine Maxwell. Why were determination truthful galore women being attacked successful places crossed the country, whether it was New York, but besides Palm Beach. You look astatine Mar-a-Lago, wherefore was Mar-a-Lago a determination wherever women proceed to beryllium trafficked from? So these are questions that we request to ask. We person questions for, for President Trump. And the broader- I deliberation the broader contented present is wherefore wasn't this investigated erstwhile these, erstwhile these, erstwhile these accusations and these stories really were heard by the FBI years ago? Where was the investigation? Where was the DOJ? And this, by the way, is an contented not conscionable successful Republican administrations but besides ones led by Democrats. We person to get answers.
ED O'KEEFE: Yeah. You mentioned Wexner, who you're interviewing this coming week. Have you heard backmost yet from the antheral formerly known arsenic Prince Andrew?
REP. GARCIA: We person not, but we perfectly person sent letters. We privation to really speech to Prince Andrew And it's not conscionable Prince And- erstwhile Prince Andrew.
ED O'KEEFE: Right.
REP. GARCIA: I mean, what's happening close present across- implicit successful the UK is beauteous stunning, and it's really a amusement of what is- what happens erstwhile the authorities listens to the public.
ED O'KEEFE: Sure.
REP. GARCIA: There are really things happening to those person been involved. That example, that's happening implicit determination and successful different parts of the world, needs to hap successful our country, and the information that the White House continues to screen up for these files and for these men, I think, is shameful. Release each the files today, and past thing, they support claiming that, oh, well, determination is a, you know, there's attorney-client privilege oregon there's interagency connection we can't enactment retired to the public. That mightiness beryllium existent successful the Epstein Transparency Act, but it's not existent successful the subpoena that asked for the nonstop aforesaid documents that was passed past July and August. And truthful determination is nary crushed wherefore Congress shouldn't person each of the documents successful beforehand of america close now.
ED O'KEEFE: Let maine inquire you astir a fewer much circumstantial names. I've heard astir the screen up that you're alleging by the White House. Let's enactment done immoderate of these names. Peter Mandelson, the erstwhile British ambassador to the U.S. You heard backmost from him yet?
REP. GARCIA: We person not, but we perfectly privation to speech to him.
(CROSSTALK)
ED O'KEEFE: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He had said successful an interrogation past twelvemonth helium hadn't seen Howard Lutnick successful years. Turns out, helium went to spot his land disconnected the U.S. Virgin Islands with his household backmost successful 2012, and helium had concern interests with him successful 2014. Are you moving with Republican Chairman Jim Comer to bring Howard Lutnick successful for questioning?
REP. GARCIA: We person asked Jamie Comer to bring successful Howard Lutnick, and we person yet no, had nary response. Not lone did helium sojourn the island, helium had tons of connection with Jeffrey Epstein aft it was already known that Jeffrey Epstein was fundamentally convicted for preying connected children. So it is, it is shameful that he's really successful our government. He should not beryllium the Commerce Secretary. He should travel speech to the Oversight Committee.
ED O'KEEFE: The Oversight Committee besides voted past period to clasp Bill and Hillary Clinton successful contempt of Congress for failing to amusement up for akin testimony. They're present scheduled to look aboriginal this period for closed doorway testimony. What's the constituent of having them travel in?
REP. GARCIA: Look, we've said from time 1 that we're consenting to speech to anybody, whether they're Republicans oregon Democrats, whoever they are, whatever, however almighty they are. If you person accusation astir Jeffrey Epstein, we privation to speech to you. We've been saying that about, astir President Clinton for a while. I'm gladsome that he's coming in. Look, the 1 happening I'll say, I deliberation some President Clinton and Secretary Clinton person besides added that they would similar those hearings to beryllium public.
ED O'KEEFE: Right.
REP. GARCIA: That's thing that we perfectly support. We person questions for, for President Clinton. We'll beryllium asking those successful New York successful the weeks ahead, arsenic you know, but there's a batch of radical that we request to talk with, and the much that we tin person these conversations successful public, I deliberation it's amended for the American people. It's what they privation to see, and they privation to recognize what was the information astir Epstein, who helium knew, wherever helium got his wealth from and wherefore has determination been a changeless absorption connected covering up his crimes by truthful galore successful government?
ED O'KEEFE: Congressman Robert Garcia, the apical Democrat connected the House Oversight Committee, convey you for spending portion of Sunday with us. We admit it, and we'll beryllium close back.
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