US house of representatives votes overwhelmingly to force release of Jeffrey Epstein files

The US house of representatives has voted to pass a bill to force the release of the Epstein files (AP)

The US house of representatives has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill to force the justice department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The move is a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from US president Donald Trump and Republican party leadership.