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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Four House Republicans have signed a petition to force a vote on the release of files associated with Jeffrey Epstein.
According to House data, the four Republicans have joined Democrats in calling for a vote on further action regarding documents concerning the activities of the convicted sex offender, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges.
Why It Matters
The Epstein files continue to cause problems for President Donald Trump. Initially, the White House said it would publish names and evidence about Epstein's associates before backtracking in July, causing a backlash.
Read More on Politics
To combat this, on Tuesday night, the House Oversight Committee publicly released 33,295 pages of documents related to the disgraced financier including flight logs, court filings and emails.
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However, this did not put an end to the saga and Democrats and Republicans on the committee argued that some of the material had been released previously and that the information was not enough to bring transparency to the Epstein case.
What To Know
The petition was filed by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and calls for a vote on a bill, written by Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna which would require the Justice Department to release the Epstein files within 30 days. At the time of writing, the petition has gained 134 signatures from 130 Democrats and four Republicans. The Republicans who have signed the petition are:
1. Thomas Massie, Kentucky
2. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia
3. Nancy Mace, South Carolina
4. Lauren Boebert, Colorado
Epstein's death, officially ruled a suicide by federal authorities, has fueled conspiracy theories and dominated political discourse, attracting attention across the political spectrum and leaving significant policy and reputational implications for major national institutions, including the Department of Justice, the presidency, and the federal prison system.
The issue has also become a flashpoint for Trump's administration, with frustration growing among his supporters over the perceived lack of accountability and transparency.
What People Are Saying
Massie told reporters: "I'm not really engaged in a massive whipping effort. I just assume we'll get the votes."
Brad Sherman, a California Democrat who also signed the petition said in a statement: "This isn't about politics. It's about transparency and justice."
Mace wrote on X: "As a survivor, I stand with victims demanding justice and full transparency. I also just signed the discharge petition to ensure the full truth comes out."
Taylor Greene wrote on X: "I'm committed to doing everything possible for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. Including exposing the cabal of rich and powerful elites that enabled this. I'm proud to be signing @RepThomasMassie's discharge petition."
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican told reporters: "I would describe virtually everything Thomas Massie says related to this issue as meaningless."
What Happens Next
Massie and Khanna need 218 signatures to force a vote on their bill on the House floor.
Then, if the bill is passed, it would direct the House Oversight Committee to continue investigating "possible mismanagement of the Federal government's investigation" of the Epstein case.
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