An unlikely alliance between a libertarian Republican from Kentucky and a progressive Democrat from Silicon Valley are leading the charge to make Jeffrey Epstein files public, and in the process, are creating a firestorm for President Donald Trump.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) this week filed what’s known as a discharge petition, a procedural measure that, if enough signatures are collected, forces a vote on a particular measure, reports Politico.
In this case, were the lawmakers able to secure 218 signatures, it would force a vote in the House on whether or not to release all files related to Epstein, the convicted sex offender alleged to have operated a blackmail operation targeting powerful figures.
“I do believe that there are issues that populists on the right and left can collaborate on,” Khanna told Politico. “In this case, it’s about going after the corruption in our government. Rich and powerful men shouldn’t have impunity from accountability. And that’s something that both people on the left and right are sick of.”
When first filing the petition, Massie said in a statement that every American deserved to know “who’s implicated” in files related to Epstein, files that the Justice Department last week said would remain under wraps. He also urged Americans to pressure their own representatives should they refuse to sign off on the petition.
“Americans were promised justice and transparency. We’re introducing a discharge petition to force a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on releasing the complete files,” Massie said. “If your Representative won’t sign the discharge petition, ask why."
The petition so far has seen even more unlikely companions come together in a show of bipartisanship.
Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia signed the petition, as have Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, a collection of lawmakers that couldn’t be further from each other ideologically, at least on an American-specific political spectrum.
The partnership between Massie and Khanna has extended to other matters as well, including a uniform opposition to the Trump-ordered strikes on Iran last month.
“We text back and forth all the time. I will often see him on the House floor, pick up the phone and call him,” Khanna said. “Obviously, we come from different ideological perspectives, but there are areas where we have agreement in making sure that we’re preventing wars of choice overseas and transparency.”