Washington — In a major development that could shake up the ongoing saga surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's death in prison, two lawmakers from different parties have secured enough signatures to force a House vote on releasing all of the files in the Justice Department's investigation into the convicted sex offender.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who have been pushing for transparency over Epstein's case since last summer, finally hit their target with 218 signatures on their "discharge petition." The measure is now expected to clear the House floor and head to the Senate for a potential vote.
Grievous delays sparked protests outside the speaker's office by Democrats, who accused Republicans of hiding the files. This latest development marks a dramatic shift in the battle over transparency over Epstein's case, which has seen President Donald Trump at its center. In September, the Trump administration released a memo stating that no incriminating information existed for further prosecution.
However, the Justice Department and FBI have been criticized by lawmakers such as Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who accused Republicans of blocking efforts to release more information on Epstein's abuse victims. "It's unbelievable that for seven weeks, Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva was denied her ability to serve more than 800,000 people in Arizona... because Republicans are running a pedophile protection program," Jeffries said.
With their signatures secured, Massie and Khanna now face the challenge of getting the measure passed. The House Oversight Committee has already released thousands of documents from both the government and Epstein's estate. Despite Republican opposition to the discharge effort, which Speaker Mike Johnson described as "reckless" and unnecessary, it appears that Republicans such as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) have signed on.
The bill aims to require the Justice Department to publicly disclose all unclassified records related to Epstein's case or his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. However, some exemptions are included for victims' personal information and classified documents.
A recent development has seen Trump himself dismiss efforts to force the release of more files as a "Democrat Epstein Hoax." White House officials have also attempted to persuade on-the-fence Republicans to drop their support for the discharge petition, but it seems that most have held firm.
As lawmakers move forward with the measure, questions will remain over what exactly will be released and whether any potential harm could come to innocent parties. However, many victims' advocates see this as a crucial step towards transparency and justice in Epstein's case.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who have been pushing for transparency over Epstein's case since last summer, finally hit their target with 218 signatures on their "discharge petition." The measure is now expected to clear the House floor and head to the Senate for a potential vote.
Grievous delays sparked protests outside the speaker's office by Democrats, who accused Republicans of hiding the files. This latest development marks a dramatic shift in the battle over transparency over Epstein's case, which has seen President Donald Trump at its center. In September, the Trump administration released a memo stating that no incriminating information existed for further prosecution.
However, the Justice Department and FBI have been criticized by lawmakers such as Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who accused Republicans of blocking efforts to release more information on Epstein's abuse victims. "It's unbelievable that for seven weeks, Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva was denied her ability to serve more than 800,000 people in Arizona... because Republicans are running a pedophile protection program," Jeffries said.
With their signatures secured, Massie and Khanna now face the challenge of getting the measure passed. The House Oversight Committee has already released thousands of documents from both the government and Epstein's estate. Despite Republican opposition to the discharge effort, which Speaker Mike Johnson described as "reckless" and unnecessary, it appears that Republicans such as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) have signed on.
The bill aims to require the Justice Department to publicly disclose all unclassified records related to Epstein's case or his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. However, some exemptions are included for victims' personal information and classified documents.
A recent development has seen Trump himself dismiss efforts to force the release of more files as a "Democrat Epstein Hoax." White House officials have also attempted to persuade on-the-fence Republicans to drop their support for the discharge petition, but it seems that most have held firm.
As lawmakers move forward with the measure, questions will remain over what exactly will be released and whether any potential harm could come to innocent parties. However, many victims' advocates see this as a crucial step towards transparency and justice in Epstein's case.
I think it's crazy that people are finally pushing for some answers about Jeffrey Epstein's death... like what really happened to him 
And now they're trying to get all the files released, which is pretty interesting considering how much was hidden before 
It feels like we're getting closer to uncovering the truth about his case 
. It's crazy to think we're still dealing with all this 7 years after his passing 
. Let's see if the Senate gets on board too 
Reps Massie and Khanna are total game changers here, they're not afraid to ruffle some feathers to get answers. I mean, who is responsible for this whole thing? The gov't needs to come clean about what really went down behind closed doors 
These docs being held back from the public eye is straight up infuriating, victims' rights are being ignored 
And Trump's trying to spin it as some kind of hoax... get real dude 
This discharge petition is a major step forward for accountability and justice. Fingers crossed they can get this across the finish line 
And I've gotta give props to the victims' advocates who are pushing for transparency; it's been way too long since we've seen any real progress on this case 
.
!
and now theres this whole thing about republicans blocking info on victims' abuse 
cant we just get the truth out already? its all very confusing 
So there's these two lawmakers, right? And they're like "hey we want those Epstein files" 
But then they get 218 signatures and it's like "oh wait, we gotta do this now" 
Anyway, it's all good because now we might finally see some more files come out and maybe, just maybe, justice will be served 
