Lawmakers from both parties pressing President Trump’s administration to release all federal files on Jeffrey Epstein moved closer to success this week.
Democrat Adelita Grijalva’s special election win in Arizona added another vote in favor of forcing House action on a bill compelling the Justice Department to disclose the still-hidden documents. The discharge petition pushing for the release of federal Epstein files has 217 signatures, with Grijalva set to add the 218th — enough to force a floor vote despite Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders siding with Trump in opposition.
The move is rare, as only a few discharge petitions have succeeded this century, and marks a major win for sponsor Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a Trump critic who has accused his own party of shielding pedophiles to protect wealthy donors.
“I do believe that Trump is not implicated,” Massie said as Congress headed into this week’s long holiday recess. “[But] I believe that Trump is trying to protect rich and powerful people who are his friends, and that is why this material is not getting released.”
The petition’s likely success is being viewed as a setback to Trump, who once campaigned on releasing Epstein files but recently reversed course, dismissing the controversy as a Democratic “hoax.” He’s now pressuring his MAGA base, who by and large championed the release of the files, to drop the push.
“Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore!” he posted on Truth Social last month.
Massie’s petition has backing from all Democrats and three Republicans — Reps. Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert — totaling 217 signatures. Grijalva, set to replace her late father Raúl, has pledged to sign once sworn in, potentially triggering a House vote on Epstein files by late October. The timeline remains uncertain, as GOP leaders canceled next week’s sessions to pressure Democrats on a spending bill, moving the House’s return to Oct. 7.
Once Grijalva signs, supporters must wait seven legislative days before offering the discharge motion, after which the Speaker must hold a vote within two days. That schedule points to a potential Epstein vote the week of Oct. 20. Still, success isn’t guaranteed — GOP leaders could try to peel away one of the three Republican backers, dropping the count below the required 218 signatures.
Speaker Johnson could try to “table” the discharge petition through a procedural rule, as GOP leaders did earlier this year to block remote voting even after it had 218 signatures. But that would require the four Republican signers to back a rule effectively killing their own bill.
The bill, sponsored by Massie and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), would require the DOJ to release all records related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in searchable form. Johnson and GOP leaders oppose it, arguing it’s unlikely to clear the Senate or win President Trump’s signature. Instead, Johnson is pushing a parallel probe by Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), who has already obtained thousands of files from the DOJ and Epstein’s estate.
