Lawmakers, victims call for release of Epstein files ahead of vote

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Republicans, Democrats and alleged victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein called on the U.S. House of Representatives to approve a resolution Tuesday to release unclassified documents related to Epstein.

U.S. Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; Thomas Massie, R-Ky.,; and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., spoke at a news conference ahead of an expected vote at 2 p.m.

The resolution calls on the Justice Department to “publicly disclose all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession that relate to Epstein or [his associate Ghisalene] Maxwell.”

Massie highlighted the path to obtain enough signatures on the discharge petition that would bring the bill to a House vote. A discharge petition requires 218 signatures from the House of Representatives to force a bill out of committee and into an official vote.

“We’ve fought the president, the attorney general, the FBI director, the speaker of the House and the vice president to get this win,” Massie said.

Trump has vowed to fund a political challenger to take Massie’s congressional seat.

Ahead of the vote, victims of Epstein also called on the House to approve release of the documents and highlighted their involvement in details of the case.

Annie Farmer, one of those speaking at the conference, said she and her sister Maria met Epstein and Maxwell when Annie was 16. She said Maria reported Epstein and Maxwell’s actions to the FBI in 1996 but did not receive a follow up.

“This is not an issue of a few corrupt Democrats or a few corrupt Republicans, this is a case of institutional betrayal,” Farmer said.

Sky Roberts, brother of Virginia Giuffre, spoke as well. Giuffre, a victim of Epstein, died by suicide in April.

“Today, we find ourselves in a place of deep sorrow, shattered by the loss of our beloved sister, yet we are honored and privileged to carry her voice forward and continue her relentless fight alongside her fellow survivor sisters,” Roberts said. “These are not just political tools for you to use, these are real survivors, real trauma,” Roberts said.

Survivor Charlene Rochard, another woman who met Epstein as a child, called for transparency.

“Let me be clear, this is not a hoax,” Rochard said. “What we endured was real, and it has scarred lives across five presidential administrations.”

Khanna said he hopes President Trump will meet with Epstein’s victims.

“My goal is to get justice here, so I hope he will meet them and really hear what’s happened and actually take action,” Khanna said.

After calling the legislation “a Democratic hoax,” President Trump called on House Republicans to approve the release of documents.

“House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” Trump wrote.

In a separate news conference on Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would vote to release the files on Epstein.

“I think it could be close to a unanimous vote,” Johnson said.

Massie called on the U.S. Senate to pass the same legislation after it gets approved in the House of Representatives.

“It may be tempting for them to get cute and to do things that will limit the release of these documents,” Massie said. “They are afraid that people will be embarrassed, well that’s the whole point here, they need to be brought to justice and embarrassment has no reason to stop it.”