NewsUS Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky) filed a discharge petition on Tuesday to compel the House of Representatives to vote on the release of documents relating to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. This came on the same day as a meeting of the House Oversight Committee with six survivors of Epstein’s abuse.
Resolution H.Res.581, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, would compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to “make publicly available … all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” relating to Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, any individuals “named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities,” and internal Department of Justice (DOJ) decisions concerning the investigation within 30 days. Information that reveals victims’ personal information or depicts child sexual abuse may be withheld or redacted. It may not be withheld on the basis of “[e]mbarassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
Massie previously said, “We all deserve to know what’s in the Epstein files, who’s implicated, and how deep this corruption goes.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson voiced his opposition to the petition on the basis that “it does not adequately protect the innocent victims, and that is a critical component.” He moreover stated that the petition is unnecessary because the House Oversight Committee is “gathering everything that was requested in the discharge petition, plus even more.”
The discharge rule allows a representative to bring a bill to a vote if it has not been reported by a committee (discharging the committee from considering it). This is the only way to advance a bill if the “majority-party leadership and the Committee on Rules” do not cooperate. There are 134 representatives so far who have signed the petition, four of whom are Republican. The petition needs to reach 218 signatures to succeed, a majority of the House.
The investigation into Jeffrey Epstein has been under significant scrutiny since Epstein committed suicide while in custody for federal sex trafficking charges in 2019. The DOJ recently released transcripts of interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell, which have been criticized for being “already mostly public information,” according to Rep. Robert Garcia, a top Democrat on the Oversight Committee. President Trump has been under fire for lack of transparency concerning his connections to Epstein, with a July poll finding that 69 percent of US adults believe that the government is hiding Epstein’s alleged client list. This followed a statement released by the FBI and DOJ confirming that Epstein had died by suicide and did not have a “client list” of prominent individuals.
