WASHINGTON — A long-running push to force the public release of Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein cleared a major hurdle Wednesday, as Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., became the 218th signer of a House discharge petition — the minimum required to compel a vote.
The move sets up a high-profile floor fight that President Donald Trump has sought to avoid and underscores growing bipartisan unease over the secrecy surrounding Epstein’s case.
Grijalva signed the petition moments after being sworn in, joining every House Democrat and four Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Nancy Mace of South Carolina. Cheers erupted from Democrats in the chamber as two Epstein survivors watched from the gallery.
“Justice cannot wait another day,” Grijalva said in brief remarks, framing the effort as a test of congressional independence.
The petition, co-sponsored by Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., seeks to compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified DOJ records tied to Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and other individuals named in connection with Epstein’s trafficking network. Sensitive materials, including victim identities or child-exploitation imagery, would be redacted.
A discharge petition — a rarely successful parliamentary maneuver allowing rank-and-file members to bypass leadership — starts a seven-day “ripening” period before a floor vote can be noticed. Once the notice is filed, Speaker Mike Johnson must schedule the vote within two legislative days.
Johnson confirmed Wednesday evening that the vote will take place next week, shortly before lawmakers leave Washington for the Thanksgiving recess. House aides said staff are finalizing debate time and procedural parameters.
In the hours before Grijalva acted, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly reached out to members who had signed the petition, but no one withdrew.
Trump and his aides have dismissed the Epstein push as “a Democratic hoax,” arguing that all relevant material has already been turned over to Congress. But Democrats on the Oversight Committee on Wednesday released newly obtained emails in which Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls” he trafficked — messages the White House called “baseless” and “cherry-picked.”
Massie predicted the eventual vote will draw substantial Republican support. “Some members who didn’t sign the petition have told me they’ll vote for the measure once it’s on the floor,” he said. “I’m certain the House vote will succeed.”
If approved, the legislation would still require Senate passage before reaching Trump’s desk. Senate GOP leaders have not said whether they would consider it, leaving its ultimate fate uncertain.
Republican leaders, meanwhile, continue to point to the House Oversight Committee’s existing investigation as evidence that additional legislation is unnecessary. Chair James Comer, R-Ky., has already subpoenaed the DOJ and obtained thousands of pages of records from Epstein’s estate, including a “birthday book” referencing Trump — an item the president denies signing.
The White House and Republican allies say the ongoing inquiry proves Trump “did nothing wrong,” while Democrats accuse the administration of slow-walking document releases.
Even if the bill stalls in the Senate, the successful petition marks one of the rarest procedural victories in modern House history and a major political flashpoint heading into the holiday recess.
This story has been updated to reflect Speaker Mike Johnson’s announcement that the House vote will occur next week.
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