How Speaker Johnson is holding up a vote on the Epstein files
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., has refused to swear in Arizona Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva for nearly two months, as he blames the government shutdown for the delay, and pledges to go forward with the process once the House resumes its normal schedule. Once she takes office, Grijalva is expected to become the 218th House member to sign a discharge petition led by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that would force a vote on the full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Grijalva and victims of Epstein push for end to delay
Grijalva, a Democrat whom Arizonans elected in September, has filed a lawsuit, alongside the state’s attorney general, calling for a federal court to end the delay to her swearing-in.
In a joint statement reported by Spectrum News last week, victims of Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, condemned Johnson’s refusal to swear in Grijalva.
“The continued refusal to seat her is an unacceptable breach of democratic norms and a disservice to the American people,” the statement read. “Even more concerning to us as survivors, this delay appears to be a deliberate attempt to block her participation in the discharge petition that would force a vote to unseal the Epstein/Maxwell files.”
Massie wants Grijalva ‘sworn in at the earliest opportunity’
Massie also pushed last week for Johnson to swear in Grijalva to secure the final signature needed to initiate a vote on the release of the Epstein files.
“I encourage Speaker Johnson to follow all applicable laws and House precedent to ensure Rep.-elect Grijalva is sworn in at the earliest opportunity… Speaker Johnson’s manipulation of the House calendar has delayed this for several weeks,“ Massie said in a statement to Spectrum News. “If he’s hoping the news will get better or that people will forget, he should think again.”
Johnson denies he’s blocking the vote
Johnson denies that he’s trying to block a bipartisan vote on the Epstein files and vows to swear in Grijalva as soon as the House is back in session. He also argued that the files are already being released, citing a series of documents obtained by the House Oversight Committee last month. Those included released excerpts of flight logs that reportedly showed Epstein had vacation plans with Elon Musk, meetings with Peter Thiel and Steve Bannon, and that he flew with Prince Andrew of the U.K.
Previous record releases offered few groundbreaking revelations, with Democrats on the committee noting that 97% of documents included a September release of 33,000 pages were already public, and one reporter with the Miami Herald pointed out that the documents contained multiple duplicates of old reports.
Johnson argued that the focus should be on reopening the government and called the Epstein files debate a “distraction.”
Release of full files ultimately up to Trump administration
The push for more Epstein files to be released comes after the Trump administration pledged last year that more records on the case would be revealed, before the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in July that there would be no further investigations into alleged coconspirators of Epstein, which prompted bipartisan backlash.
Even if the expected vote on the full release of the Epstein files passes both the House and the Senate, the Trump administration would retain control through its DOJ over whether the records are ultimately released, per NBC News.
Democrats demand explanation from DOJ
Democrats sent a letter, obtained by CBS, to Attorney General Pam Bondi recently requesting an explanation as to why the DOJ moved to end the investigation into Epstein’s alleged accomplices.
Massie pointed out 20 alleged coconspirators in a September House Judiciary Committee hearing, in which FBI Director Kash Patel was questioned.
According to Massie, the list of coconspirators included a “Hollywood producer worth a few hundred million dollars, one royal prince, one high-profile former politician, one owner of a car company in Italy, one rockstar, one magician, at least six billionaires, including a billionaire from Canada.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
