Copyright Newsweek
The House of Representatives will be forced to hold a vote on releasing the Epstein files, after a two-month hiatus kept a newly elected Democratic Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva of Arizona from taking up her role. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will be forced to finally hold the vote, which had been touted before the House went on recess, after Arizona Representative Adelita Grijalva was sworn in. The Democrat became the final signature on the discharge petition on Wednesday shortly after she took her oath. Why It Matters Johnson had been accused of keeping members of Congress out of the lower chamber as a way to avoid swearing in Grijalva, who would be the swaying vote for those calling for the release of the long-awaited files on disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Epstein. The vote comes after Democrats released more emails related to the case earlier in the day. What To Know Grijalva won her congressional seat after a special election to replace her late father, who died earlier this year, but her swearing in was put on hold when Congress failed to pass legislation to keep the federal government open a few days later. One of the first orders of business after her ceremony is the signing of a petition, prompting a vote to release the Department of Justice’s files on Epstein, after President Donald Trump's administration said earlier this year that there was no reason to release more on the case. What Does the Epstein Discharge Petition Do? Grijalva’s role is seen as crucial here, as she was the 218th signature on the discharge petition linked to legislation requiring the release of documents related to Epstein’s sex trafficking. That legislation is called the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was co-sponsored by Representatives Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat. Other Republicans are on board, including Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Can Mike Johnson or Donald Trump Stop the Epstein Vote? If there are enough petitioners on board, Johnson will likely be powerless to stop a vote on the bill. Trump may seek to influence Republicans who could help stop the bill from passing, but he cannot formally intervene at this stage. The president has been vocal in his disapproval of the latest rounds of file releases, accusing Democrats of pushing a hoax to distract from their performance, which “only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap,” he said on Truth Social Wednesday. When Will the House Vote on the Epstein Files? With the crucial number of representatives on the petition, the House will now need to vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern, a Democrat who serves as the ranking member of the House Rules Committee, has stated that the vote will likely take place in early December. What We Know About the Epstein Files Emails released Wednesday from Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are likely to reignite interest in the issue. Epstein wrote in a 2011 email that Trump had “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with a victim of sex trafficking and said in a separate message years later that Trump “knew about the girls." The newly released emails include correspondence between Epstein, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. The documents have renewed scrutiny over what Trump may have known about Epstein’s sexual misconduct. A previous round of documents from earlier in the fall included a note allegedly from Trump to Epstein on his birthday, as well as further emails from Epstein’s private account to Ghislaine Maxwell and others. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have faced harsh criticism from Democrats and several Republicans, particularly those within MAGA, who feel they have sought to cover up links between the president and Epstein, despite promises before the president’s inauguration to release the files. What People Are Saying Representative Thomas Massie said in a statement to Newsweek: “Today we will have the 218th signature on my discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files. Speaker Johnson's manipulation of the House calendar has delayed this for several weeks. If he’s hoping the news will get better or that people will forget, he should think again. We know from the victims’ lawyers that at least 20 men are implicated in files the FBI possesses, and we learned from the New York Times that after his death suspicious activity reports were filed with the government on nearly a billion dollars of transfers from Epstein’s account.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday: "These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.” South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace, who previously showed support for releasing the files, said Wednesday on X: “How pathetic that Democrats are using Epstein's victims to bury headlines on their vote against reopening the government.” What Happens Next Against the backdrop of Wednesday’s files release, Johnson will likely be under pressure to get a vote on the bill as soon as possible.
