1 month ago
20
The United States House of Representatives volition clasp a ballot to unit the afloat disclosure of files related to the precocious enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein, Speaker Mike Johnson has said.
Johnson told reporters connected Wednesday that the House would clasp a ballot adjacent week to necessitate the Department of Justice to merchandise each documents related to the disgraced financier.
Recommended Stories
list of 2 items- list 1 of 2Would Trump’s $1bn suit against the BBC clasp up successful court?
- list 2 of 2Trump ‘spent hours’ with unfortunate astatine Epstein’s house, emails allege
Johnson added that helium wanted to “remind everybody” that the GOP-led Oversight Committee had been “working astir the clock” connected its ain probe into the case.
Johnson made the comments aft Democratic lawmaker Adelita Grijalva, who was sworn successful arsenic the newest subordinate of Congress connected Wednesday, signed a petition to compel a House ballot connected the issue.
The bipartisan discharge petition – a mechanics allowing a bulk of lawmakers to bypass the House enactment – was enactment guardant by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna.
Grijalva won a peculiar predetermination to capable the Arizona spot held by her precocious father, Raul Grijalva, successful September.
Johnson had refused to curse successful the lawmaker arsenic the enclosure has been retired of league since September 19, prompting a suit by Arizona’s lawyer general.
Grijalva and different Democrats said the hold was intended to forestall her from adding her signature to the Epstein petition.
Speaker Johnson is delaying my swearing successful to debar releasing the Epstein files.
Join america successful demanding Speaker Johnson:
End the Shutdown.
Swear maine In.
Release the Files.
SIGN OUR PETITION 🔗https://t.co/pmOaiFxQu6 pic.twitter.com/l2xzrVz1qI
— Adelita Grijalva (@AdelitaForAZ) October 9, 2025
Immediately aft being sworn in, Grijalva signed the petition, giving it the required 218 signatures to progress.
Her co-signatories included each 214 House Democrats and 4 House Republicans – Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace.
Republicans person a constrictive bulk successful the House, with 219 members.
In a code connected the House level aft taking her seat, Grijalva promised to proceed her father’s bequest of advocating for progressive policies and guarantee Congress provided a “full and cheque and balance” to President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We tin and indispensable bash better. What is astir concerning is not what this medication has done, but what the bulk of this assemblage has failed to do,” she said.
Grijalva’s 2nd enactment successful a engaged archetypal time connected Capitol Hill was to ballot with the bulk of her Democratic colleagues to cull the Senate-passed authorities to reopen the government.
Lawmakers voted 222 to 209 successful favour of moving the backing bundle to Trump’s table for his signature, ending the longest national authorities shutdown successful history.
Jim McGovern, the apical Democrat connected the House Rules Committee, had antecedently said helium expected voting connected the Epstein measure to instrumentality spot successful aboriginal December.
Johnson’s announcement of an earlier-than-expected ballot hinted astatine increasing vexation among Republican lawmakers, galore of whom are facing increasing scrutiny from wrong their ain party, Democratic lawmakers and the American nationalist implicit accusations they are protecting kid abusers.
Tennessee Republican Tim Burchett told reporters connected Wednesday that helium was “tired of messing around” with the issue.
“The Democrats person had the Epstein files for 4 years, and present we’ve got it for 9 months, and it’s going to beryllium dragged into a clump of nonsense. Let’s conscionable instrumentality it to the floor. Let’s ballot connected it. Let’s get connected with it,” helium said.
A propulsion connected Wednesday by Burchett to unit an expedited ballot to merchandise the files was blocked for not pursuing due legislative procedure.
In a video connected X, Burchett blamed Democrats for blocking his efforts and accused them of “gamesmanship” implicit Epstein.
I tried to merchandise the Epstein files today. Democrats blocked it. pic.twitter.com/oKo8y9RR3b
— Rep. Tim Burchett Press Office (@RepTimBurchett) November 12, 2025
The ballot besides comes amid renewed scrutiny of Trump’s narration with Epstein, aft Democrats connected the House Oversight Committee released caller emails appearing to further nexus the brace connected Wednesday.
In 1 specified communication, Epstein told his erstwhile girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is presently serving a 20-year jailhouse condemnation for enactment trafficking, that Trump had “spent hours” astatine his location with 1 victim.
The email, reportedly sent to Maxwell 2 years aft Epstein had spent 13 months successful situation for his enactment crimes, besides said, “I privation you to recognize that that canine that hasn’t barked is trump.”
It was unclear what Epstein was referring to with his comments.
Epstein said Trump “knew astir the girls” successful different email sent successful 2019.
Writing connected his Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed the emails arsenic a “hoax”, accusing Democrats of being consenting to “do thing astatine each to deflect connected however severely they’ve done connected the Shutdown”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt besides dismissed the emails, saying they “prove perfectly thing different than the information that President Trump did thing wrong”.
“This medication has done much with respect to transparency erstwhile it comes to Jeffrey Epstein than immoderate medication ever,” she said.
English (US) ·