Gop Rep. Thomas Massie Takes First Step To Force A Vote On Releasing The Epstein Files

WASHINGTON — Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., nan blimpish firebrand who's fought pinch Donald Trump and different GOP leaders, revenge a discharge petition Tuesday to unit a level ballot compelling nan Justice Department to merchandise each of nan files from nan Jeffrey Epstein case.

It's 1 of nan first House actions arsenic lawmakers return to Washington from their five-week summertime recess. And nan rumor is judge to predominate Capitol Hill this week, arsenic intersexual battle survivors of Epstein — nan convicted activity offender who took his ain life successful situation successful 2019 — meet pinch cardinal lawmakers Tuesday and clasp a much-anticipated news convention connected Wednesday.

Massie and his Democratic co-author, Rep. Ro Khanna of California, said they will statesman collecting signatures for their Epstein solution starting Tuesday. They request astatine slightest 218 signatures — half nan members of nan House — to unit a vote, and Khanna told NBC he is definite that each 212 Democrats will motion on, on pinch astatine slightest six Republicans.

If they tin unafraid nan requisite 218 signatures, location is still an further seven-legislative-day waiting play earlier a ballot tin happen. Then nan House speaker has 2 legislative days earlier he must telephone up nan measurement for a ballot connected nan floor. So, nan earliest a last ballot could hap would beryllium successful 2 weeks.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and different GOP leaders are opposed to nan push, arguing that it’s not needed because nan House Oversight Committee is investigating nan matter and is successful nan process of reviewing a tranche of Epstein records.

But nan discharge petition allows a mostly of nan House to circumvent leadership's wishes.

Trying to merchandise nan building unit connected Epstein, GOP leaders connected Tuesday added their ain Epstein-related measure to nan database of authorities nan House will tackle this week.

But nan measure has small teeth: It would direct nan Oversight Committee to “continue its ongoing investigation into nan imaginable mismanagement of nan Federal government’s investigation of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell” — thing nan sheet is already doing.

"@SpeakerJohnson conscionable scheduled this meaningless ballot to supply governmental screen for those members who don’t support our bipartisan authorities to unit nan merchandise of nan Epstein files," Massie wrote connected X.

Johnson, speaking to reporters successful nan Capitol, changeable backmost astatine Massie: “I would picture virtually everything Thomas Massie says related to this rumor arsenic meaningless."

The bipartisan discharge push coincides pinch a group of survivors from nan Epstein case walking to Capitol Hill for some nationalist and backstage events. On Tuesday afternoon, survivors will meet pinch a bipartisan group of Oversight Committee members down closed doors. Then connected Wednesday morning, a different group of survivors will look astatine a news convention hosted by Massie and Khanna.

Massie said successful a abstracted station connected X that 10 survivors will subordinate nan property convention and that immoderate person ne'er spoken publically before. Khanna said nan revelations from nan survivors will beryllium “explosive.”

Though Congress was not successful convention successful August, nan House Oversight Committee continued its activity connected nan Epstein investigation complete nan recess. They brought successful respective cardinal witnesses for closed-door deposition, including erstwhile Attorney General William Barr. They person besides issued subpoenas to Bill and Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Robert Mueller, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales.

Sessions, Gonzalez and Holder each swore affidavits saying they had nary knowledge of nan Epstein matter successful speech for not appearing. Mueller will not look due to wellness issues.

The committee has besides scheduled a transcribed question and reply pinch former U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, whose agency oversaw nan Epstein lawsuit and reached a concealed non-prosecution statement pinch him successful 2008. The sheet besides subpoenaed Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, for a deposition.

The committee has besides received hundreds of documents from DOJ related to nan lawsuit and is expecting more. And it has subpoenaed nan Epstein Estate for documents; nan property is expected to reply nan lawsuit arsenic early arsenic this week.

Among nan documents successful nan possession of nan property is Epstein's “birthday book,” which nan Wall Street Journal reported Trump contributed an definitive connection to. Trump has denied authoring nan connection and sued nan Journal. NBC News has not independently verified aliases seen nan book.