As a general rule, until proven otherwise, I like to think the best of people. So, I thought the best of Congressman Bacon when I received this one-sentence press release from his office.

“I voted today to release the Epstein Files. It is more far-reaching than the discharge bill.”

I thought he was calling for the total release of all the pages, photographs, interviews, and other assorted documents uncovered by numerous government agencies about the heinous sex trafficking crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. In fact, I congratulated him for that in a Facebook post.

But the post was premature, because after digging a little deeper, I realized that he wasn’t calling for the release of all the information, but rather the picked-over, whitewashed version before the House Oversight Committee. It was not as far-reaching as he claimed.

The more President Trump and his Republican sycophants try to hide this information from the public, the guiltier they look.

I’m not saying that the President did anything wrong. So far, there is no evidence of any illegal activity on his part, but there is plenty of evidence that he knew what was happening. His comments about how Epstein liked women on the younger side, and the birthday card he sent Epstein, where he wrote, “Happy Birthday—And may every day be another beautiful secret,” show that he knew. He had to see or overhear things as Epstein’s best friend for over ten years. He had to know what Epstein and Maxwell were up to.

A defense that Trump previously used was that if there were anything in the report that made him look bad, Biden would have released it during the campaign. Now he’s saying it’s a Democratic Party hoax. (Ever notice how everything Trump doesn’t like is a hoax? Someone should get him a thesaurus for his birthday.)

I’m sure there are powerful people on both sides of the political aisle who are in those files. But an undercover video shows Joseph Schnitt, a Deputy Chief in the Department of Justice, saying that the DOJ will redact any Republicans and conservatives and only show the Democrats and the liberals. Trump and Bondi claim they want to protect the victim’s anonymity, but whose anonymity are they really protecting?

I never understood why they never release the names of the victims of sexual assault. After all, they were victims of a crime. If they were murdered, their names would be released. If they were mugged, their names would be a matter of public record. I often thought that protecting the names of the victims added shame to them like they had done something wrong.

But now the victims are coming out from the shadows and demanding that all the information be released, and if the files aren’t released, they will start naming names.

They haven’t released any names so far because they fear retribution. But they can give those names to Representatives Marjorie Taylor Green and Thomas Massie, who can read them on the House floor with constitutional immunity.

I was told that in America, no one is above the law. Was I lied to? Or has the country changed that much?

I want to think the best of people. I want to believe the best of America.

That’s why, when a retired Air Force general said he wanted to release the Epstein files, I thought he was demanding all the files. The Air Force Code of Conduct calls for accountability. However, I suppose the Code of Conduct for Congressmen and politicians is quite different.

Should Biden have released all the information? Yes, he should have. But that doesn’t absolve the Trump Justice Department from keeping everything under wraps.

As of this writing, Nebraska Congressmen Bacon, Flood, and Smith have not signed on to the bill sponsored by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie and Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna to demand that all the files be released. The bill still needs two more Republican Congressmen to get on board to move their proposal forward.

I want to keep believing that in America, no person is above the law. I want to think the best of people. Release all the information on Epstein and let the chips fall where they may. Prosecute those who took those young girls’ innocence, no matter their political party or status.

Congressman Bacon, it’s not too late to do the right thing.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.