A bipartisan duo in Congress is vowing to upend Washington’s long silence on Jeffrey Epstein’s past by forcing a full House vote to release sealed government records tied to the disgraced sex offender and his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., announced they will press forward after the summer recess with a “discharge petition” that would require Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the Epstein files within 30 days — setting the stage for a high-stakes political showdown.
“It’s not a pretty please, would you release the files. It’s the force of law,” Massie said Sunday on ABC’s This Week, underscoring the pair’s resolve.
If a majority of House members sign on, the measure would bypass standard procedure and compel a vote — regardless of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., objections or the Trump administration’s preference to handle the matter internally.
Speaker Johnson has delayed floor action until after the recess and warned against Massie’s effort, calling the bill “reckless.”
But the delay has triggered a growing backlash inside the GOP, especially among grassroots conservatives demanding transparency.
Johnson’s attempt to give the Trump administration “space” has only fueled suspicion. Many of the 11 House Republicans already backing the petition have signaled they will break ranks with leadership if necessary.
Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican, warned Sunday that inaction could cost Republicans their House majority.
“Is the pain [Johnson] talking about that somebody in our party will be embarrassed by those files? That’s not a good excuse,” Massie said on Meet the Press. “We need justice for the victims.”
Massie and Trump have butted heads recently, though: Massie opposed Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Massie was also was the only House Republican to vote against it, citing fiscal irresponsibility.
Trump responded publicly on March 11 by saying Massie should be expelled from the party and pledged support for a primary challenger.
Massie also broke with Trump on foreign policy, denouncing U.S. strikes on Iran as unconstitutional and threatening action on war powers. Trump retaliated by calling Massie “not MAGA” and accusing him of undermining party unity.
And just last week, Trump escalated the conflict by labeling Massie the “worst Republican Congressman” and an “embarrassment to Kentucky” in a Truth Social post, hinting at supporting a primary opponent.
The renewed push for accountability comes amid questions about former President Donald Trump’s past ties to Epstein. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported a letter bearing Trump’s name appeared in a 2003 birthday album gifted to Epstein — a claim the Trump campaign vigorously denied.
Trump has responded with a defamation lawsuit against The Journal, Dow Jones, and News Corp, insisting he cut ties with Epstein well before his 2008 guilty plea for soliciting sex from a minor.
Trump has repeatedly stated that his relationship with Epstein ended years before the financier’s death in 2019.
While Trump has publicly called for the release of the Epstein files, his critics — on both the left and right — say his administration has not moved quickly enough.
Facing mounting pressure, the Justice Department has since asked courts to unseal grand jury transcripts from the Epstein and Maxwell investigations. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also visited Maxwell in a Tallahassee, Florida, prison last week, as the House Oversight Committee ramps up efforts to subpoena her testimony.
Maxwell, convicted in 2021 of aiding Epstein’s abuse of underage girls, is appealing her conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court.
While the DOJ recently concluded there was “no foul play” in Epstein’s 2019 jailhouse death — and insisted there is no “client list” — many lawmakers and the public remain unconvinced.
A forced vote would put Republicans in a politically precarious position: either side with transparency and risk embarrassment, or shield the powerful and alienate a base already skeptical of government secrecy.
Johnson and Trump allies accuse Massie and Khanna of playing political games. But the lawmakers insist their bill protects victims’ identities and redacts explicit content — addressing the Justice Department’s main objections.
“The truth must come out,” said Khanna. “We cannot allow justice to be denied or delayed because it makes the politically connected uncomfortable.”
As both parties brace for the return to Washington, one thing is clear: the Epstein files aren’t going away — and neither are the lawmakers demanding their release.
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