...
By Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A number of President Donald Trump's biggest allies in the House of Representatives have split with him and called for the complete release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, both major supporters of Trump, cosponsored a new legislative push announced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna to force a vote in the House to release the complete files, according to the former.
A recent memo from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI said there was no "client list" associated with the convicted sex offender and that no further charges would be brought.
Read More on Politics
When contacted for comment, the DOJ told Newsweek: "No comment."
...
In an interview with Kentucky Public Radio, Massie said he is advancing the discharge petition because "the American people deserve to know what was in those files, and I think we've got to get as much justice for the victims as we can."
"I think it's important that we keep our promises," he said. "And this was a campaign promise that the president made, and it's a promise that his administration has made, his vice president has made, his son has made. And it's a promise that's not been kept."
Newsweek reached out to Greene and Speaker Mike Johnson via email outside of regular office hours for comment.
Why It Matters
During the 2024 campaign, Trump suggested that if voters returned him to the White House, he might release a list of individuals associated with Epstein.
The significant backlash among MAGA voters amid the White House and the DOJ's handling of the Epstein investigation appears to have created a rift within the GOP and seems to have surprised even the president, who has called on his supporters to move past what he describes as the "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax."
What To Know
On Tuesday, Massie said he has introduced, with Khanna, the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would require Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials regarding Epstein that are in the DOJ's possession.
It was cosponsored by several other Republican representatives, including Tom Barrett, Cory Mills, Eric Burlison, Jeff Van Drew, Eli Crane and Tim Burchett. It was also sponsored by Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, according to Massie.
Massie and Khanna pledged to launch what is known as a discharge petition, which would bypass House leadership to force a vote.
This new legislative push was proposed after House Republicans voted down a procedural motion on Tuesday brought to the floor by Democrats to demand similar transparency from the DOJ.
One Republican who supports Massie's initiative, Tim Burchett, told Axios that he did not vote for the Democratic procedural motion because "It's just politics, it's not about protecting little children. And that ticks me off."
House Speaker Mike Johnson recently urged full transparency and public disclosure related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
What People Are Saying
Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, on X: "We all deserve to know what's in the Epstein files, who's implicated, and how deep this corruption goes. Americans were promised justice and transparency. We're introducing a discharge petition to force a vote in the US House of Representatives on releasing the COMPLETE files."
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, on X: "I am proudly cosponsoring and will sign the discharge petition. I will never protect pedophiles or the elites and their circles."
California Representative Ro Khanna, on X: "People ask me: why should we care about the Epstein files when Americans are losing healthcare & their rights? Because trust matters. Without trust, you cannot have a government of, by, and for the people."
President Donald Trump said earlier this week regarding Jeffrey Epstein: "I don't understand what the interest or what the fascination is. I really don't...I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody. It's pretty boring stuff, it's sordid, but it's boring. And I don't understand why it keeps going."
But he added that Bondi should release any "credible information" that the DOJ has regarding him.
What Happens Next
This petition requires 218 signatures to force a vote in the House. It has rarely been successful.
Updates 7/17/25, 12:25 p.m. and 7/18/25, 6:24 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comments made by Representative Thomas Massie on Kentucky Public Radio and with a response from the DOJ.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines