House sets vote on measure demanding release of Jeffrey Epstein records after petition reaches threshold

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week on legislation directing the Department of Justice to publish investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, after a procedural petition gathered the 218 signatures required to force floor consideration.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced the scheduling decision Wednesday evening, only hours after newly sworn Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., became the final signatory to the discharge petition. Her endorsement ended a seven-week effort by proponents who argued that public access to the records is necessary for transparency in the long-running case.

A discharge petition is a rarely used mechanism that bypasses committee control and compels House leaders to bring a bill to the floor. Details about the process are outlined by the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Reaching the 218-member threshold guarantees a vote but does not ensure final passage; the underlying measure must still secure a simple majority.

The legislation seeks to obligate the Justice Department to release documents related to Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in a federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges. Advocates say the files could shed light on Epstein’s network of associates and potential accomplices.

Only four Republicans signed the petition, a point underscored Wednesday when The New York Times reported that Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., met with senior Justice Department and FBI officials at the White House as President Donald Trump’s administration attempted to head off the impending House vote. The administration has faced criticism for delaying release of the records despite earlier promises to make them public.

Even if the measure clears the House, its future remains uncertain. The Republican-controlled Senate would have to approve identical language, and President Trump could veto the bill if it reached his desk. The White House has not indicated whether the president would exercise that authority.

Document cache released by House Democrats

Separate from the petition effort, House Democrats on Wednesday published more than 20,000 pages of material obtained under subpoena from Epstein’s estate. The trove includes emails and text messages in which Epstein referenced Trump, with several passages suggesting the former president had knowledge of unspecified activities.

In a 2018 email to former Obama White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, Epstein wrote, “I know how dirty donald is,” after she forwarded an article on Michael Cohen’s guilty plea in a federal campaign-finance case. Another message, sent in April 2019 to author Michael Wolff, stated that Trump “knew about the girls.” The context of that remark is unclear, and the documents do not elaborate.

An earlier 2011 email to Ghislaine Maxwell, later convicted for her role in Epstein’s trafficking operation, contained a cryptic reference: “I want you to realize that the dog that hasn’t barked is trump.” Epstein added that an individual identified by Democrats as one of his victims had spent “hours at my house with” Trump yet had “never once been mentioned.” The name of the alleged victim is redacted in the released material. CNBC has not independently verified the contents of the emails.

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Trump disputes allegations, calls release a distraction

Trump, who socialized with Epstein in the 1990s before the two men reportedly fell out in the early 2000s, has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s exploitation of minors and has not been charged in connection with the case. Responding to Wednesday’s document release, the president posted on Truth Social that Democrats were reviving a “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax” to divert attention from the partial federal government shutdown, which he blamed on their party.

“Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap,” Trump wrote, contending that Democratic actions had cost the country “$1.5 trillion” and “massive damage.” He urged GOP lawmakers to focus on reopening the government rather than the Epstein files.

Background on Epstein investigation

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution in Florida, serving 13 months in a work-release arrangement widely criticized as lenient. Federal prosecutors arrested him again in July 2019 on accusations of operating a sex-trafficking ring involving underage girls. He died the following month at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, a death ruled a suicide by the medical examiner.

The pending House bill directs the Justice Department to release all non-classified investigative files on Epstein, Maxwell and any associated individuals, subject to privacy redactions. Supporters argue the measure would provide answers to victims and the public; opponents warn it could expose sensitive information and complicate ongoing inquiries.

Johnson’s announcement confirms that the chamber will debate the proposal in the coming legislative week, setting up a contentious vote that will test party unity and the reach of the discharge petition tool. Should the House approve the bill, the focus will shift to the Senate, where leadership has not indicated whether it will take up the matter.

Crédito da imagem: Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty Images