A new law adds to a string of GOP-run states that have undercut direct democracy by piling on onerous new regulations and raising the threshold for signatures.

Republicans are pushing ahead with an investigation into the activities of Jeffrey Epstein — even as legislation forcing the release of all Department of Justice files on the late sex offender appears to be heading to President Donald Trump for a signature. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a series of subpoenas Tuesday for some of Epstein’s financial records. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the committee, issued subpoenas to J.P. Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank and requested additional documents from U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Gordon Rhea. According to the subpoenas, J.P. Morgan Chase began an internal investigation into accounts previously held by Epstein, flagging some 4,700 transactions as “suspicious” in the process. Epstein also held accounts at and banked with Deutsche Bank from 2013 until potentially late 2018, the subpoenas state. The letter to Rhea comes after documents released last week reveal that Del. Stacey Plaskett consulted with Epsteinduring a 2019 hearing with President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Epstein previously owned the islands of Little St. James and Great St. James. The House on Tuesday will vote to censure Plaskett and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee. “The records sought by this subpoena will assist in the Committee’s oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell,” the subpoenas to the banks read. The subpoenas were announced just after the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to force the Justice Department to release more information about the case it built against Epstein.

Pardoned Capitol rioter Andrew Johnson tried to keep a child sex abuse victim quiet with claimed $10 million Jan. 6 reparations, police say.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee say a whistleblower revealed that Maxwell has received special treatment in prison.

A year after President Donald Trump’s re-election, Republicans are already seeing their gains among Latino voters erode, recent election results and polling suggest. Here’s what’s changed and what it ...