US Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) holds a press conference about his resolution to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, November 9, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
A Republican on his way out of Congress just teed up a vote that threatens the Justice Department's Epstein secrets.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) secured the 218 signatures his discharge petition needed to force a House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, Axios reported Wednesday. The measure would empower Jeffrey Epstein's survivors, state prosecutors and members of Congress to sue the Justice Department over records they say it has unlawfully held back. It would also aid state investigations.
Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) added the final signature Wednesday, according to House clerk records cited by the outlet. Massie was one of only four Republicans to sign, along with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). Democrats supplied the remaining 214 signatures.
Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) spearheaded the original push to pry loose the Epstein files. That bill cleared the House 427-1 in November 2025 after the pair gathered enough signatures to go around Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and President Donald Trump ultimately signed it.
The law gave the Justice Department until Dec. 19, 2025, to release its Epstein investigative records, with narrow exceptions for victims' privacy, active investigations and other sensitive material. The department blew past that deadline, then announced in January that it had put out close to 3.5 million pages.
Survivors and lawmakers have since accused the department of keeping too much under wraps while botching redactions that left victims exposed. A report from the Republican-led House Oversight Committee released Tuesday faulted the administration's handling of the release, citing failures to shield victims and heavy redactions that hid alleged co-conspirators. The committee said it found no evidence tying Trump to Epstein's crimes.
The petition is expected to be eligible for a floor vote by early December. Even if it passes the House, Senate Republican leaders could refuse to take it up before the new Congress takes office in January.
The White House and Johnson's office had not commented as of Axios' report.
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