Move to Release Epstein Files Gains Momentum
A discharge petition led by Republican Rep. Thomas Massey from Kentucky and Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna from California aims to compel the government to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, currently gathering 215 signatures.
As of now, Massey is one of only four House Republicans who have signed the petition, while 211 out of 212 House Democrats have also supported it. Joining him are Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
According to a tweet from a colleague, the discharge petitions from Massey and Khanna are set to force a House vote on the Epstein files, with the current count of signatures standing at 215.
When asked if he believed the petition would reach the necessary 218 signatures, and if that indicated a lack of successful pushback from House leadership, Massey responded, “When I appeared on ABC yesterday, Ro Khanna mentioned he expected to secure the necessary votes by the end of the month for the Epstein discharge petition. The crucial question remains: will House members prioritize transparency and justice?”
The petition titled “Epstein Files Transparency Act” was submitted on July 15, urging the House to vote for the full release of all documents related to Epstein. Khanna collaborated with Massey to draft the resolution, which requires at least 218 signatures—essentially a simple majority—for a full House vote.
Khanna indicated, “We have 218 votes—216 already back it. Two members are not present, but we expect their support when they return.” One of these is Rep. Eric Swalwell from California, who has been away due to a family bereavement and expressed his intent to sign the petition once back in Washington, D.C.
Massey has also clashed with former President Donald Trump over a resolution aimed at unraveling all government documents related to Epstein and his alleged network. Trump directly criticized Massey in a post, calling him “the worst Republican Congressman” and suggesting that he might support an opponent against him.
In July, Massey was seen around Congress with a binder labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase 2,” distributing leaflets regarding the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This Act is designed to prevent records from being withheld for political reasons and mandates that Attorney General Pam Bondi provide an uncategorized summary of the classified materials.
Once enacted, the Attorney General has 30 days to prepare all uncategorized DOJ records, including those from the FBI, in a format that is searchable and downloadable, though there are certain exceptions.
This resolution permits Bondi to withhold or edit sections of records that involve sensitive content, including child sex abuse materials and personal information about victims. It also includes material related to national defense or any information that might jeopardize ongoing federal investigations.
On September 2, the House Oversight Committee released thousands of subpoenas related to Epstein obtained from the Department of Justice, confirming that they had gathered more than 33,295 pages of documents as of August 22.
Inquiries were made to Swalwell for comments, but no response was received before publication. The office of House Speaker Mike Johnson was also contacted, but he did not comment further on the matter.
