Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took the Senate floor on Wednesday and announced that he had invoked the “Rule of Five” to force the Trump Justice Department to release all the Epstein files by August 15th.

“Now I come to the floor this morning with some news. Today, Senate Democrats take additional action to try and uncover the truth about the Epstein files. This morning, I join all of my Democratic colleagues on the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in invoking a century-old law known as the ‘Rule of Five’ to compel the Department of Justice to release the full and complete Epstein files, which to date, of course, they have refused to be transparent about,” Schumer said, adding:

Under federal law, when any five senators on the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee call on the executive branch to release investigative documents, they must comply. Our request covers all documents, files, evidence, or other materials in the possession of the Department of Justice or the FBI related to the case of United States versus Jeffrey Epstein.

This includes records and documents related to Epstein and his clients, while ensuring that the private information of any victims is protected. We expect the Trump administration to provide these documents by August the 15th. The situation with the Epstein files is very simple. Donald Trump promised transparency, and he has broken that promise. As a candidate, Trump said on many occasions he would release the Epstein files if elected. He has refused to do so.

A month into the new Trump administration, on the predawn streets of suburban Maryland, a high-ranking ICE official stood alongside a Mazda sedan that his officers had just stopped.

The official told a local TV reporter at the scene what was about to happen. “He can either give us a license,” he said, “or we’ll smash the fucking window out and drag him out.” Then, as the driver refused to exit the car, officers broke the glass.

It was one of nearly 50 documented instances of immigration agents breaking vehicle windows that ProPublica has identified from social media, local news accounts, lawsuits and interviews since President Donald Trump took office six months ago. Using the same methods, we found just eight in the previous decade. Neither number is comprehensive. The government releases no relevant statistics. (snip) Officers who break glass aren’t being disciplined — they’re being promoted. The official from Maryland, Matthew Elliston, now occupies a senior position at headquarters and oversees field operations on the East Coast. On the other side of the country, a Border Patrol chief who also embraced the tactic, Gregory Bovino, was put in charge of sweeps in Los Angeles. (Neither answered ProPublica’s questions.)