A rogue Republican is closing in on obtaining the 218 signatures necessary to bypass GOP leadership and force the House floor to vote on releasing documents related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has locked horns with his own party and earned fierce criticism from President Donald Trump over his quest to have the files released.
Politico reported Wednesday he inched closer to securing the votes to do just that, with the swearing in of Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) who cruised to victory in a special election on Tuesday night and signed Massie's petition a day later.
“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 the outlet.
With Walkinshaw's support, Massie and fellow Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) need just one more House signature to complete their endeavor. And they have good odds to do just that, as a Democrat is expected to win a Sept. 23 special election in Arizona to replace the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva.
Trump has been dogged by the Epstein scandal, with a recent report coming to light that he sent Epstein a bawdy doodle for the disgraced financier's 50th birthday. Trump insists the scandal is a Democratic "hoax."
The report comes after Massie suggested a shadowy billionaire in Epstein's infamous "black book" has been out to get him.