Republican Representative Thomas Massie said Sunday that a significant number of Republicans could vote in favor of legislation that would force the Justice Department to release all of Jeffrey Epstein’s files.
“It could be 100 or more. I’m hoping to get a veto-proof majority when we vote on this legislation,” Massie told ABC News.
Massie was one of four Republicans who defied President Donald Trump by signing a discharge petition that forced a House vote this week.
Concerns about the Justice Department’s investigation
Massie expressed concern that the ongoing Justice Department investigation could be used as a “smokescreen” to block the release of the documents.
“If there are ongoing investigations in certain areas, these documents cannot be released. So this could be a big smokescreen, these investigations … as a last ditch effort to prevent the Epstein files from being released,” Massie said.
Senator Murphy criticizes Trump’s actions at the Justice Department
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy also weighed in, calling Trump’s request for Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Democrats “heartbreaking and completely unsurprising.”
“The Department of Justice has just become a protection racket for Donald Trump and a witch hunt against his political opponents. This is why our democracy is in such danger right now … for the first time in our history, the Department of Justice is acting to try to punish and imprison anyone who criticizes Donald Trump,” Murphy said.
Trump distances himself from Epstein
Trump claimed he ended his association with Epstein in the early 2000s after allegedly discovering that Epstein had “hired” female employees from Mar-a-Lago.
After the House Oversight Committee released thousands of documents — including emails that appear to implicate Trump — the House is expected to vote Tuesday on legislation to force the release of federal files.
According to the released emails, Epstein claimed that Trump “knew about the girls” in Epstein’s network. Trump has repeatedly denied knowledge of Epstein’s actions, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the documents as “selectively released emails” designed to “smear” the president.
Upcoming House vote
A vote on the release of Epstein’s federal files is scheduled for Tuesday, with bipartisan attention focused on potential Republican support that could help secure passage of the legislation.
