Massie-led effort to release Epstein files passes House after Trump about-face

Austin Horn, Lexington Herald-Leader on Nov 18, 2025

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Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District Rep. Thomas Massie notched another win Tuesday in his effort to release the full files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Massie’s push on a discharge petition to force the release of the documents had long faced opposition from President Donald Trump and House GOP leaders, but those power brokers changed their tune in recent days given the slim majority of the U.S. House that signed onto the petition.

The resolution passed easily, 427-1.

Only Louisiana Republican Clay Higgins voted no.

Popular support for the petition, cosponsored by California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, got a second wind with new developments and increased public interest. New tranches of records have been released by both Democrats and Republicans in the House detailing Epstein’s relationship with many powerful people, including Trump.

Epstein and Trump’s friendship, and later fallout, is well-documented.

The new emails shed light on how Epstein saw Trump, and some argue they raise questions about what Trump knew about Epstein’s conduct and if he was involved. Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor and has been accused of more crimes. “I am the one able to take him down,” Epstein told an acquaintance of Trump in a 2018 text.

Epstein died by suicide in prison awaiting trial in August 2019.

The resolution now goes to the Senate, where Republicans control 53 of the 100 seats, and 60 votes are required for passage.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, has long been an opponent of the discharge petition, citing alleged insufficient lack of protections for victims and the possibility that the files could ruin the lives of people unaware of Epstein’s crimes.

On the House floor Tuesday, Johnson called the discharge petition a “show vote” led by Democrats to score political points.

But Johnson reversed course and encouraged his caucus to support Massie’s petition. He urged the Senate to make changes to the resolution when it’s in their possession, including adding a provision to protect “innocent persons” who are not proven to have aided Epstein in the documents, potentially adding “new victims.”

Massie excoriated Johnson in a post on X for that idea.

“This is how (Johnson) plans to protect perverts who went to the rape island from embarrassment. Do not let the Senate add an amendment to avoid disclosing those rich and powerful men who have evaded justice for so many years,” Massie wrote.

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