BURSTVictims of Jeffrey Epstein will return to Capitol Hill next week, when they will be hosted by a bipartisan group of lawmakers pushing the Trump administration to release the government’s files on the late sex offender.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) had staged a public event with Epstein survivors early last month as part of their effort to drum up support for a discharge petition designed to force the administration to release those secret documents.
The trio has arranged a similar event outside the Capitol on Oct. 8.
The discharge petition currently has 217 signatures, one shy of the number needed to force a vote on legislation requiring the Justice Department to release the files. But Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D), who recently won a special election in Arizona, is expected to provide the decisive 218th endorsement whenever she’s sworn in.
The precise date of her swearing in, however, remains an open question and a point of contention. Democrats have been pushing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to perform that ceremony this week during two pro forma sessions staged by the House while the chamber is in recess.
Johnson, who had sworn in Republicans during pro formas earlier in the year, has refused to do so. The move has sparked howls from Democrats, who say Johnson — who is opposed to the legislation forcing the administration to release the Epstein files — is stalling to delay the success of the discharge petition.
Adding to the uncertainty of the timeline, there was speculation on Friday that GOP leaders would also cancel the House’s scheduled return to Washington next week, potentially delaying the swearing in even further.