Fed-Up Republican Closes In on Securing Signatures to Bypass GOP’s Epstein Block

A growing bipartisan effort in the U.S. House of Representatives is closing in on the threshold needed to circumvent GOP leadership and compel a vote on releasing long-suppressed documents tied to disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), long known for his independence from party leadership, has spearheaded a discharge petition that would force the issue onto the House floor.

The petition now has 217 signatures—just one short of the 218 required to trigger a floor vote—after Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) signed on Wednesday, a day after being sworn in following his decisive victory in a special election.

“The discharge petition in the House … is really the only mechanism to circumvent that ironclad control that Donald Trump has over my Republican colleagues,” Walkinshaw told Politico, signaling that Democrats are increasingly unified in backing the measure despite strong resistance from GOP leadership.

Massie’s campaign has placed him at odds with President Trump and with many within his own party. Trump, who has dismissed the Epstein revelations as a partisan “hoax,” has publicly criticized Massie’s push, accusing him of providing ammunition to Democrats and undermining Republican unity.

Yet momentum continues to build. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), an early Democratic co-sponsor of the petition, has worked closely with Massie to gather cross-party support. The effort is expected to gain even more traction later this month when Democrats are favored to win a Sept. 23 special election in Arizona to replace the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva.

A Democratic victory would all but guarantee the decisive 218th signature needed to move the measure forward.

The fight over the Epstein files comes at a politically fraught moment for Trump, who has faced renewed scrutiny after reports surfaced that he once sent Epstein a crude hand-drawn sketch for his 50th birthday. Trump has forcefully denied wrongdoing and claims Democrats are exploiting the controversy to damage his political standing.

Meanwhile, Massie has suggested darker forces are at play. He recently hinted that a billionaire listed in Epstein’s notorious “black book” has been working behind the scenes to undermine his efforts. While he offered no evidence, the claim shows the high-stakes intrigue surrounding Epstein’s extensive network of wealthy and politically connected associates.

If successful, Massie’s petition would mark a rare rebuke to party leadership and could open a floodgate of disclosures with far-reaching political consequences.

For now, all eyes are on Arizona, where the outcome of a single special election may determine whether Congress—and the public—finally gain access to documents long shielded from view.

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