'Covering up for pedophiles': Dem lobs ugly accusation at Mike Johnson in public spat

An impromptu meeting between two Arizona Democrats and House Speaker Mike Johnson quickly turned ugly over a vote to release the Jeffery Epstein files.

Johnson walked out of his office Wednesday and ran into Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, who were speaking to reporters in the Capitol hallway, and he greeted them with a collegial "hey, gentlemen."

Gallego asked the speaker to explain the delay on swearing in Adelita Grijalva, another Arizona Democrat who won a special election last month to replace her late father in the House, and Johnson said he'd be happy to hold the ceremony once Senate Democrats agree to support a Republican government funding bill.

"Reopen the government so we can get back to work," Johnson said.

Gallego pushed back, saying Johnson keeps changing the terms for swearing her in, and Kelly pointed out that he swore in two Florida Republicans, Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine, right away in what are called pro forma sessions.

"They had all their family and friends here, so we went through the process," Johnson said, and he brushed off Gallego's attempt to interrupt. "Let me answer the question if you're going to ask it."

Johnson said Grijalva had not scheduled a date for her oath because she was elected after the House out of session, and Gallego accused him of stalling over the discharge petition that Grijalva has said she would sign and thus force a floor vote on the Epstein files.

"You don't want the Epstein discharge," Gallego said.

"Totally absurd," Johnson replied, and his voice rose in pitch after Gallego accused him of stringing Grijalva along. "No, I'm not! It has nothing to do with Epstein."

Johnson argued that the GOP-led House Oversight Committee was conducting an investigation on the Epstein matter, but Gallego wasn't buying it.

"You know she's key to the discharge petition," he said. "You just keep coming up with excuses. This is an excuse so she doesn't sign on to that."

The two men then shouted over one another, according to NBC News correspondent Julie Tsirkin, and Gallego accused Johnson of “covering up for pedophiles."