A discharge petition in the U.S. House moves to a full vote on releasing Epstein investigation files. The step was triggered when the petition reached the necessary signature threshold on Wednesday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated the chamber will hold a full vote on the discharge petition next week. Democrat Adelita Grijalva of Arizona secured the pivotal 218th signature after taking office in a special election following her father Raúl Grijalva’s death.
The Epstein case has long attracted scrutiny over promises to release investigative materials. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in custody in 2019 while facing trafficking charges.
Even if the petition passes the House, passage into law is not guaranteed. A Senate majority and a presidential veto could still block final approval.
The New York Times reported that Rep. Lauren Boebert was invited to the White House for talks with senior Justice Department and FBI officials as Trump seeks to avert a vote. Boebert is one of four GOP signatories of the discharge petition.
Jennifer Freeman, counsel for Epstein survivor Maria Farmer, told MSNBC: “For decades, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have been left in the dark, the government ignored or cast aside survivor reports of Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes, and the vast majority of people who were implicated have yet to be held responsible.”
She urged lawmakers to act promptly: “There’s no time to waste – we urge lawmakers to do their part and vote on releasing the Epstein files once and for all.”
Democrats released more than 20,000 documents from Epstein’s estate, including emails and texts in which Epstein discussed Trump.
A 2018 email thread references Kathryn Ruemmler, Obama’s White House counsel, forwarding Epstein an article about Michael Cohen’s guilty plea. A 2019 release shows Epstein telling Michael Wolff that Trump “knew about the girls,” though the meaning remains unclear.
In a 2011 email to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein wrote, “I want you to realise that the dog that hasn’t barked is Trump.” CNBC has not independently verified the documents released by Democrats.
Trump has denied knowledge of Epstein’s abuses and has not been charged in connection with Epstein. He described the disclosures as a political distraction aimed at undermining his administration.