Summary
- Bipartisan lawmakers push for a vote to release Epstein files.
- Rep. Thomas Massie filed a discharge petition for House vote.
- Proposal demands DOJ release all unclassified Epstein documents.
- The petition gained strong bipartisan support, including Rep. Ro Khanna.
On the same day that numerous survivors of Epstein met secretly with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican and Democratic members of a congressional investigation commission on Capitol Hill, Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky submitted a petition for discharge. To start the vote, he would need the signatures of the majority of House members.
Since many of his admirers adopted a number of conspiracy theories about Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019, the case has produced political problems for Republican President Donald Trump.
Majorities of Americans and Trump's Republican supporters think the government is concealing information about the case, according to a July Reuters/Ipsos survey.
Massie and California Democrat Representative Ro Khanna's plan would mandate that the U.S. attorney general make any unclassified Epstein records held by the Department of Justice, including the FBI and U.S. attorneys' offices, publicly available.
On Wednesday morning, Massie and Khanna will meet with the victims of Epstein for a press conference.
According to Johnson, Massie's petition was "inartfully drafted" because it did not include wording that would have protected the identity of victims of Epstein's sexual assault. The petition is "moot" because of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's efforts, Johnson added.
"It's superfluous at this point, and I think we're achieving the desired end here,"
Johnson said.
The committee has convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell for a deposition and subpoenaed the DOJ and Epstein's estate for materials. It is currently going over 34,000 pages of material that the DOJ sent it.
Illinois Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi called the discussion with Epstein survivors "frank, emotional, and intense."
"It was the type of conversation that probably can't happen in a hearing setting,"
he told reporters.
"The victims marshaled a lot of bravery and courage to come before us to tell their stories."
What evidence do supporters cite to justify a discharge petition for Epstein files?
Only portions of the Epstein files have been released, many with significant redactions, leaving large questions unanswered and fostering suspicions about potential cover-ups.
The Department of Justice revealed an index of evidence that includes about 40 computers, 26 storage drives, over 70 CDs, and thousands of videos and images, some containing explicit and disturbing material related to victims. Major files, including travel logs, photographs, island blueprints, and logs of visitors to Epstein’s private island, remain sealed.
An internal DOJ review found no evidence of Epstein blackmailing prominent figures or maintaining a client list, but this conclusion remains deeply contested by victims, advocates, and some lawmakers.