House overwhelmingly clears release of explosive Epstein files in risky brushback of Trump

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in front of dozens of victims of the late pedophile financier, triggering the potential release of tens of thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking operation.

President Trump, who once vehemently opposed the book’s publication and called it a ‘Democrat sham,’ surprisingly changed his mind over the weekend after seeing the writing on the wall: Many in his party were ready to oppose it in the vote no matter what.

Louisiana Representative Clay Higgins was the only ‘no’ vote on the bill, justifying his decision with the belief that it ‘injured and injured thousands of innocent people’ as written.

The bill, which was delayed for months due to the government shutdown, now goes to the Senate; where Majority Leader John Thune faces a decision on when to bring up the vote that would send the bill to Trump for signature.

Thune may be able to stop introducing the disclosure bill, helped in part by a shortened week in the Senate ahead of next week’s Thanksgiving break, but the pressure to act will be immense. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to stop Thune if he ‘try to cover up the legislation’ because ‘the American people have waited long enough and want to see what’s in it.’

Arkansas Republican John Boozman told reporters Tuesday that Trump’s new support for the bill “will make a difference” in how the Senate handles it, adding that he “doesn’t have any issue with the data coming out” and that “a lot of people ran on this issue in the last election.”

The Justice Department may also block the release of some files, arguing it would jeopardize an ongoing investigation that Trump recently requested.

From left, American real estate developer Donald Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000.

Last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi considered Trump’s request to investigate Epstein’s relationships with prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton.

This could complicate what will actually be revealed and add further fuel to the conspiracy theories surrounding the Epstein case.

Speaker Mike Johnson voted to release the files, but he wants the Senate to make changes if the bill moves there and allow Bondi to redact certain documents to protect victims, sources and methods.

Thomas Massie described potential Senate changes as a ‘red herring’ under the guise of protecting victims.

Survivors of Epstein’s abuses rallied outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday alongside Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, as well as Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Massie, who have faced Trump’s ire for their relentless campaign for transparency.

Speaking to reporters after the end of the press conference, Massie noted that the chances of success in using the expungement petition legislation technique were “initially around 4 percent” and that he was “used to fighting, not winning.”

The habeas corpus petition process allows a bill to be brought before the full Congress, bypassing the typical committee process.

While Massie told the Senate not to “mess up everything,” Trump said at the press conference, “can publish these files without permission ‘The Senate is acting.’

The path to garnering 218 votes on the discharge petition was difficult.

Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva was sworn in by Republican Speaker Mike Johnson in the U.S. House of Representatives last Wednesday afternoon, seven weeks after being elected to replace the seat previously held by her deceased father.

Grijalva became the final signatory of the petition calling for the release of government files on Jeffrey Epstein; Several of his victims watched from the House gallery, and just minutes after he was sworn in as a member of Congress, he fulfilled a key campaign promise.

The petition, put forward by Khanna and Kentucky Massie, was supported by all Democrats in the House as well as three female Republicans, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

But Trump said Sunday evening that the files should be released, giving other Republicans political cover that their votes would not conflict with his wishes.

Trump did his best Wednesday to remove the names of Republicans like Boebert and Mace from the petition.

Trump was known to have a relationship with Epstein in the early 2000s and was seen in photos and videos with both Epstein and Maxwell. She also allegedly wrote a birthday card to Epstein that featured a depiction of a naked woman.

The birthday letter was reportedly part of a special album Ghislaine Maxwell compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday, in which she asked friends to contribute photos, drawings and personal notes.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released emails from the Jeffrey Epstein estate on Wednesday that mention President Trump’s name.

Meanwhile, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee called the statement made by their Democratic colleagues “unsolicited” for clickbait purposes.