The House has tentatively scheduled a Tuesday vote on legislation calling for the release of federal files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Politico reported Friday, citing three people granted anonymity to discuss internal plans ahead of a public announcement.
The decision follows a successful discharge petition filed by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., which allows the legislation to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for a direct floor vote. Newly sworn-in Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., provided the 218th vote needed to push it over the threshold.
Three other Republicans signed the petition: Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
Under the GOP plan, the House Rules Committee would approve a procedural measure Monday night to advance eight bills for floor consideration, including language on the Epstein legislation, Politico reported.
If that measure is approved on the floor — likely early Tuesday afternoon — debate and a final vote on the bill could immediately follow. GOP leaders are considering whether to postpone the Epstein vote until Tuesday night.
A number of Republicans are expected to break ranks and support the bill. The Epstein Files Transparency Act would require the Department of Justice to publish all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein, who died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges related to sex-trafficking of minors.
But the bill would still need Senate approval and the signature of President Donald Trump to become law — which appears unlikely given the president’s opposition to the files’ release.
Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released emails Wednesday in which Epstein said Trump “knew about the girls,” without providing further evidence. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed the release as a calculated hit job.
“The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump,” Leavitt said. “The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions.
“The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre. These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again.”
Trump on Friday called on Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI to scrutinize Epstein’s alleged ties to prominent Democrats and major financial institutions. She appointed Jay Clayton, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to lead a new federal investigation.
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