Rep. Thomas Massie (R‑Ky.) strongly challenged on Thursday President Donald Trump’s claim that the renewed attention on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is a political “hoax,” pointing instead to a diplomatic upheaval in the United Kingdom as proof that there’s more to emerge.
Earlier Thursday, the British government dismissed Peter Mandelson as its ambassador to the United States after newly revealed emails and letters showed a deeper and more supportive relationship with Epstein than had previously been disclosed.
“If it's a hoax, why did the British government just fire their ambassador to the United States? It’s because more is coming out on the Epstein files and they see what's coming down the pike,” Massie told CNN journalist Manu Raju Thursday.
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Massie, along with Rep. Ro Khanna (D‑Calif.), has introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would require the Department of Justice to make all its related records public while safeguarding victim identities.
To force a House vote despite leadership resistance, they have launched a bipartisan discharge petition, which needs 218 signatures to move forward.
The petition has reached about 216 signatures, per Massie, just two shy of the number required to force a vote.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse, some of whom spoke at a press conference alongside the two lawmakers for the first time earlier this month, have rallied strongly behind the effort, saying only full disclosure can bring accountability.
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