In a forceful message delivered on national television, Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) challenged his Republican colleagues to support a bill demanding the full release of files related to convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein — asserting that failure to do so would amount to voting in favor of protection for offenders.
Massie, partnering with Democratic Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), has spearheaded a bipartisan effort to force a House floor vote on legislation that compels the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disclose all unclassified records in its possession pertaining to Epstein’s case, with exceptions only to safeguard victims’ identities. Their push comes amid rising public demand for transparency and long-standing suspicions about the adequacy of prior investigations.
Addressing Republicans, Massie emphasized the political risk: “Donald Trump can endorse you now in red districts,” he said, “but by 2030 he will not be president—and you will have voted to protect pedophiles.” He warned that the record of the vote would outlast any current presidential tenure and serve as a permanent marker of each lawmaker’s stance on accountability.
The push faces resistance from House leadership. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has declared the bill unnecessary, citing the ongoing work of the House Oversight Committee, which has already released tens of thousands of pages of documents. Massie, however, expects more than 100 Republicans to side with the transparency measure, aiming for a veto-proof majority.
The backdrop to this legislative showdown includes the DOJ’s July memo concluding that Epstein died by suicide and that it found no credible evidence of a “client list” of high-profile associates. That memo sparked criticism and propelled the current drive to open all remaining records. Massie also suggested that recent announcements by the White House and the DOJ to investigate figures connected to Epstein’s network may serve as distraction tactics—intended to stymie full disclosure by triggering classifications or other delays.
Although the bill may pass the House, its fate in the Senate remains uncertain, and the possibility of a presidential veto looms. If defeated, the vote could become a litmus test for GOP lawmakers weighing loyalty to party leadership against calls for transparency and justice for Epstein’s survivors.