Discharge petition poised to force vote to release Epstein files [View all]

by Mike Lillis - 09/25/25 6:00 AM ET

Lawmakers in both parties fighting to force the Trump administration to release all the federal files on Jeffrey Epstein took a big step closer to their goal this week.

Adelita Grijalva’s victory on Tuesday in a special House election in southern Arizona sends another Democrat to Capitol Hill — and secures the deciding 218th signature on a discharge petition designed to compel the Justice Department to disclose the still-concealed documents related to the late child sex offender.

Grijalva’s endorsement will force a House floor vote on the proposal over the objections of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other GOP leaders, who are siding with President Trump in opposition to the bill.

The milestone is highly unusual: Only a handful of discharge petitions have been successful this century. And it would mark a coup for its lead sponsor, GOP Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.), a frequent Trump critic who has accused those in his own party of protecting pedophiles to prevent embarrassing revelations about wealthy Republican donors ...

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5520512-massie-grijalva-epstein-petition/