US House to vote on full release of Jeffrey Epstein files next week
The US House of Representatives will vote next week on a measure to force the Department of Justice to release all remaining files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday.
Johnson said the vote would ensure “full disclosure” of Epstein’s records and noted that the Republican-led Oversight Committee has been “working around the clock” on its own investigation into the case, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
The announcement follows the certification of Democratic lawmaker Adelita Grijalva, who was sworn in earlier the same day. Her first act in office was signing a bipartisan petition to compel a House vote on the release of Epstein’s files.
The petition, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, reached the required 218 signatures after Grijalva’s addition. All 214 House Democrats signed on, along with four Republicans — Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace.
“Let’s just take it to the floor. Let’s vote on it. Let’s get on with it,” said Tennessee Republican Tim Burchett, expressing frustration over delays in releasing the documents.
The vote comes as newly released emails have renewed scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s ties to Epstein.
In one email, Epstein allegedly told his former partner Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump had “spent hours” with one of his victims and “knew about the girls.” The message was reportedly sent two years after Epstein’s 13-month jail term for sex crimes.
Trump has dismissed the emails as a “hoax”, accusing Democrats of using the scandal to distract from political setbacks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also rejected the claims, saying the emails “prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong.”
Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide, though questions and conspiracy theories continue to surround his case.
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