House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he's shutting down the House of Representatives until September to stave off a vote that could compel the Trump administration to release the files on sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Johnson announced Tuesday that he would put an end to voting on Wednesday night "in what he called an effort to avoid 'political games' related to the Justice Department's handling of the files," the Times reported.
Johnson's announcement came "just after" the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Epstein's former partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Tuesday that he had contacted Maxwell's attorneys to set up a meeting.
Blanche posted to X Tuesday his intention to meet with Maxwell, writing, "Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know? At @AGPamBondi’s direction, I’ve contacted her counsel. I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law — and no lead is off-limits."
Democrats and rogue Republicans have been trying to force through a resolution calling for the release of Epstein-related documents.