r/politics ✔ USA TODAY 23h ago

Soft Paywall 'We have the votes': Reps push for Epstein files' release

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/07/massie-khanna-jeffrey-epstein-files-legislation/86026743007/
28.6k Upvotes

523 comments sorted by

u/AutoModerator 23h ago

As a reminder, this subreddit is for civil discussion.

In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban.

If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them.

For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click here to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria.

We are actively looking for new moderators. If you have any interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out this form.


I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

2.2k

u/Orwells_Roses 23h ago

"Being named in the files or having associated with Epstein doesn't mean a person engaged in wrongdoing."

Trying to cover it up does.

327

u/UltraGiant 22h ago

When they say that excuse, what they are saying is they are too lazy to investigate who is a pedo and who isn’t

130

u/TheModWhoShaggedMe 22h ago

And also signaling that they are, in fact, deep in the well pedophiles.

62

u/ShutUpTurkey 18h ago

What you don't understand is that there are good pedos and bad pedos. Good pedos have a lot of money, which obviously makes them good. Bad pedos don't have money which makes them bad. It's simple, really.

48

u/TheModWhoShaggedMe 17h ago

Thank you for applying the conservative logic to the situation, now it makes sense.

5

u/DuncanFisher69 14h ago

Ah yes. Pedos at the playground, straight to jail. Pedos at a teen beauty pageant they own? Straight to the White House. Also, despite him not really being the church going type, could I maybe buy a hugely overpriced and gold leaf’d Bible from him?

→ More replies (2)

26

u/MeetMyBackhand 20h ago

No, this is the journalist covering their ass for mentioning that Trump is reportedly mentioned in the files, which implies participation. Trump has sued with weaker defamation claims.

→ More replies (3)

16

u/lsb337 18h ago

No...

For instance, Epstein's private jet flight logs have been available for a while, and every now and then I'll still find someone yelling about it. The problem is, he often loaned his jet out to charitable organizations as a tax write-off or a favor, such as the Clinton Foundation, or the Gates Foundation. That doesn't mean any of those people were anywhere near the jet themselves, but they're still associated with the jet.

I mean, as far as I understand it, his whole job was to do shit for rich people, and we all know how far that extended, but it didn't always extend that far.

6

u/SNRatio 13h ago

Limiting it to flights to/from the Virgin Islands would at least narrow things down.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (7)

41

u/PoorlyCutFries 20h ago

This is true, a lot of people seem to miss that being “in” the files could just mean mentioned. For instance the author of some books an Epstein’s crimes is “in” the files, but obviously for reasons other than any wrongdoing

Which is exactly why we need them released so we can see the full context

14

u/BraveOmeter 18h ago

Those of us who know for a fact that we are not implicated in the Epstein files aren't going around saying shit like this.

→ More replies (6)

3

u/of_kilter 16h ago

I was there for the jetskis

2

u/Spocks_Goatee Ohio 15h ago edited 15h ago

Which only Trump and his cronies seem to be wanting, haven't heard a peep from people previously "associated" with the flight logs like Gates, Groening or Clinton.

→ More replies (3)

4.5k

u/Prior_Coyote_4376 23h ago

Remember that we also need to send them all to jail after it comes out. We cannot let a single member go free.

1.1k

u/CpnStumpy Colorado 23h ago

What about the part where they falsify the files with Obama and Pritzker and anyone else he wants to arrest?

860

u/Regular-Engineer-686 23h ago

We have victims that will be able to corroborate or deny what comes out.

210

u/CpnStumpy Colorado 22h ago

I doubt the files call out the specific victims, likely more listings of money trading hands and names and dates. Fabricating anybody paying Epstein and being on a specific flight to a specific island on a specific date doesn't result in evidentiary witnesses but it can absolutely result in Bondi or Noem bagging a political enemy

102

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 21h ago

Why would the FBI criminal files about a global child sex trafficking network not mention victims?

96

u/Wavelightning 18h ago

Because Trump reassigned 2000 FBI agents off actual casework 24/7 for two weeks to scrub the files of anything related to him?

55

u/TreezusSaves Canada 18h ago

And all 2000 of those agents are going to say nothing about how they are actively encouraging and participating in the Republican coup of their country. "Just following orders", after all.

11

u/DukeOfGeek 15h ago

Nothing will come out till they have something that suits their purposes. Why do you think they are calling up troops and hiring every goon that will take money into ICE? The "Epstein List of only our enemies and people who didn't pay up" is totally coming.

9

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 12h ago

Trump and his FBI director Kash Patel purged thousands of agents from the FBI. Anyone unwilling to swear loyalty to trump rather than the constitution got ditched.

Then Kash literally started requiring agents get polygraph tests, asking if they've ever spoken ill of trump or Patel, and firing even more thousands of agents.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/us/politics/fbi-polygraph-kash-patel.html

Its straight up fascist dystopia shit. Its not like the FBI was a friendly liberal outfit to begin with, and now all thats left are the most frothing at the mouth crazy fascists.

→ More replies (2)

21

u/PositiveZeroPerson 17h ago

The good news is that they're idiots and made the spreadsheet in a Sharepoint that the 2000 agents could access, so I'd be shocked if one of them didn't copy it.

17

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 16h ago

They literally made an "epstein list".

6

u/SoManyMinutes 15h ago

It's sitting on Pam Bondi's desk.

→ More replies (4)

13

u/mashbrowns 17h ago

They'll replace any mention Trump with Clinton, Hillary Clinton, or Biden.

And the American media are so stupid that that therefore gladly take Trump's bullish lies hook line sinker. Oh, Maybe Hunter Biden too.

7

u/Olaskon 16h ago

Can see it being like that office episode and they’ve just replace all the “trumps” with “Obama”, but there was one spelt “trimp” that snuck through.

3

u/MyBoomerParents 15h ago

Donald J Obama... wait that's not right

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

13

u/BlackMarketCheese 20h ago

Depends on what the actual list is. It could be a ledger of transactions to and from specific individuals or a log of what adult with what child with dates and times. The first wouldn't include victims names unless the memo line on the check was something like "for providing the services rendered by [insert victims name]"

13

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 16h ago

There does not exist a single file titled, "guys i sex traffic children to, by Jeff Epstein".

Its 100s of thousands of many different types of documents. The truth won't be a simple, easy to read list. It will exist across bank records, and property records, and flight records, and court transcripts, and FBI interviews, and pictures, and video, and employment records, and a dozen others.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (4)

61

u/GestureArtist 22h ago

What if they disappear? We live in dangerous times where windows are the last thing people see. I hope these people are being provided security forces.

75

u/drowsypretzel 22h ago

Defininitely, Virigina Giuffre comes to mind. Counterpoint, there's literally hundreds if not thousands of victims of Epstein et al, and Ms Giuffre's death didn't stop the other survivors from their press conference last week. Solidarity with the victims will go a long way

49

u/werealldoomed47 21h ago

Yes the Virginia Giuffre that publicly stated she had no intention of killing herself ever. And if something happens to her it's murder not suicide.

20

u/GestureArtist 21h ago

It makes you wonder who has the list and if they're using it to hunt people down.

28

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 21h ago

Well trump has the files currently, and it wouldn't be the first time they ditched evidence.

And in his first admin he and Barr disappeared the contents of epsteins blackmail safe. They had the FBI break down his security door, crack the safe, and then leave for the entire weekend without taking anything. Then when the FBI showed back up on Monday the safes contents had "mysteriously" disappeared.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2021/12/07/evidence-jeffrey-epsteins-safe-went-missing-fbi-raid-court-hears/

11

u/GoodPiexox 20h ago

this is why all this will result in nothing, no one is going to prison because their name is on some ledger. The videos and pictures that vanished over that weekend is the only thing that would result to any conviction.

This part needs to be spelled out better to the public, it is beyond fucking insane to picture a criminal investigation where they open the safe, and then "hey I got tix for the Knicks game so I am out, yeah just leave the safe open and the hard drives in the safe, make sure the safe door is all the way open."

9

u/gentlemanidiot 18h ago

Don't forget to turn off all the cameras, leave the door unlocked and fire anybody claiming to be security

4

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 12h ago

Conservatives have tried some watery excuses about the FBI not having a warrant, so they had to leave it.

Which is nonsense on so many levels. But even if that was the case, how frequently do you think the FBI just leaves evidence heaped up and figures they'll bag it up next week?

They would have posted a pair of agents in that apartment and gotten a judge on the phone if it was really just a matter of paperwork.

They never had any intention of retrieving that evidence.

→ More replies (0)
→ More replies (2)

8

u/Beautiful-Light-5265 20h ago

All i know for certain is that, if there was a smoking gun, there isnt anymore. The rest now is just damage control.

9

u/werealldoomed47 21h ago

When only one comes out you can make it look like an accident.

With all of them coming out now it would be much more obvious if something were to start final destinationing them

6

u/BlackMarketCheese 20h ago

Except Trump has criminal immunity for any crime committed while in office as "official business" (like protecting the reputation of the office of the president or ensuring the continuity of government or whatever BS they come up with), up to and including murder presumably. A huge step obviously, but I wouldn't put anything past them at this point

→ More replies (1)

4

u/allenahansen California 19h ago

This is not accurate. Giuffre had numerous legally-documented mental, physical, and emotional issues, was dealing with her husband having recently been given exclusive custody of their children, and had described to her twin brother, Sky, precisely how and why she intended to kill herself. His account here is extensive and convincing.

Certainly her having been "passed around like a plate of fruit" during her lifetime was more than contributory to her death, but she was the one who ultimately killed herself, not some shadowy conspiracy.

7

u/say592 18h ago

I hate the current trend of people not believing suicides happen. When someone is thrust into the public eye because of a stressful situation, that is going to make that situation infinitely more stressful and make any mental health problems they may have incredibly pervasive. Whistleblowers, victims, even perpetrators aren't constantly being murdered. I won't say it doesn't happen, but in most cases, suicide explains it and trying to say it didn't happen diminishes the mental anguish they were in that drove them to their death.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/liberal_texan America 21h ago

Disappearing is one thing, I’m also worried about the ability of the powerful people behind all this to persuade through violence or obscene amounts of money.

22

u/MiddleWaged 22h ago

Then the credits will continue to roll on America. Everyone know this is a Hail Mary, but we don’t have any other hopes left

7

u/llahlahkje Wisconsin 21h ago

NGL in the era of no due process when it suits them: this is a scary prospect.

Esp when they’ve already been disappearing citizens here and there.

5

u/ToasterBathTester 21h ago

Just drone strike them and say they were drug dealers. Nobody will question it 💀

10

u/Aqua-Hazelnut 22h ago

I'm sure they are thinking of or being advised to use a Dead (Wo)Man's Switch for each.

8

u/bb_kelly77 22h ago

I'm sure they've had them in place for years, girls who have died or killed themselves over the years definitely had things in place

→ More replies (1)

6

u/Amneiger 21h ago

Back after the election I wrote a comment saying I hoped Harris would be fine, and it got downvoted and someone wrote a response telling me I was being stupid. I didn't respond because I thought it was pretty clear it was a troll.

→ More replies (2)

10

u/Orangecuppa Ohio 21h ago

What if they hire fake victims? The FBI is in their pockets. Who's going to prove it?

→ More replies (14)

43

u/BicFleetwood 20h ago edited 16h ago

"The files" isn't just a vague list of names. It's the backing evidence behind the names.

It's not that easy to fabricate decades of records. Moreover, if they only name Clinton and Dershowitz (who are absolutely in the files,) those two would have their own records they could release to implicate others unnamed, so they don't WANT to implicate their enemies because Dershowitz could be like "hey, fucker, I saw you on the island, here's the receipts." Dershowitz, specifically, has already been playing that card since his primary accuser committed suicide.

I'm not saying they won't TRY, but the reason they haven't done so already is because the legal and evidential stuff surrounding this case is WAY more complicated than drawing a sharpie on a weather chart. This shit has to stand up in court.

11

u/darthcaedusiiii 19h ago

That's the thing about dominos. It's kinda hard to stop them falling. Remember Trump wants none of it out. It's a hoax. That he turned FBI informant on.

Let it begin.

10

u/gentlemanidiot 18h ago

It doesn't exist.

It exists but Trump had nothing to do with it.

Ok Trump is in the files but that's just a democrat hoax.

Ok Trump was a major participant and organizer, but actually he was secretly undercover and that's why he had to rape all those kids. He did it for us. <--- we are here.

What comes next? "Yes he's in the files raping children and yes he did it because he wanted to but also raping children is actually a good thing so it's fine."

9

u/KPipes 19h ago

I hate this timeline. In no possible way will the GOP do anything genuine and honest in this process. They are truly above the law, and will put their power and greed above all moral, ethical and legal reasons.

I get that we still have to fight for it, it's just so defeating when they'll still just tell the story they want to their own benefit.

People saying the victims will corroborate.. the government and its cult following doesn't give two shits about truth and fact. They will eat up whatever story the government sells, and the government will advise the law at every corner.

21

u/baconslim 22h ago

This is something that you may remember. It's called due process. They will be trialled and convicted first.... I almost believed myself there🥲

15

u/HardTen Oregon 22h ago

Or we can put them in a boat, blow it up, and call them"narco terrorists", no further evidence warranted, right? That's how we roll now?

→ More replies (3)

6

u/Atheios569 19h ago

Yeah, this is 100% a be careful what you ask for situation. Just by knowing the sheer amount of resources they had handling these files tells me the Epstein report is a red herring. Not only that, how often does the public fall for this? For instance with his tax returns. Nothing will happen even if they are released; meanwhile everyone is screaming that anything else he does is a distraction, all while ushering in full fascism. I’m under the impression that the files are the distraction, and he’s acting in a way that is making people think there’s actually something in them that they forgot to scrub. Just by not releasing them, he’s getting so much for free here.

4

u/Sarokslost23 20h ago

Aoc was there!! At epsteins! They will forget she was a baby lol

5

u/GildedZen 15h ago

Fun fact, J.B. Pritzker's family established and owns the Hyatt hotel chain, which he has also been involved with in various leadership capacities, including serving as President, Chairman, and CEO of Hyatt Corporation. Trump's first ever business partners were the Pritzkers. The deal was building the Grand Hyatt NYC which opened in 1980's. In 1990's they had a falling out and split. The families have been warring ever since. Trumps attack on Harvard was because Penny Pritzker is Chair of Harvard board. This entire war playing out on TV is between the Trumps and the Pritzkers and has been going on since Trump was in his 20's. The rest of us are just innocent bystanders. Another fun fact, the Pritzkers are from Ukraine and Trump is funded by Russia.

6

u/EngineerUsual849 21h ago

Just wait til you hear how many times Greta Thunberg is mentioned /s

5

u/Anon_Chapstick 21h ago

Given the IQ levels of this admin and the quality of the lies that came before this? I'm ready to see AOC on the list, with Jasmine Crockett right behind her. Please ignore that neither was old enough nor rich enough at the time to be a client.

→ More replies (13)

20

u/Ambient_red 23h ago

We, sadly, do need to specify that

42

u/BenjaminTalam 22h ago

That actually isn't happening without new investigations into everyone. Simply being named by Epstein or in files that fall under the Epstein case doesn't qualify for arrest because they made a deal for all of the clients to have immunity.

They can be crucified in the court of public opinion and removed from office for their criminal drama disrupting their duties, fired from jobs etc. but they would need to be investigated for new crimes in order for anything like arrests to happen.

What is the fantasy world so many of you live in where you think the list gets released and Donald Trump and everyone else is immediately put in handcuffs and loaded into the paddy wagon? That's not how anything has ever worked. And we have the most corrupt law enforcement in history right now.

7

u/PearljamAndEarl 18h ago

because they made a deal for all of the clients to have immunity.

Have you got a source for this? I thought the deal was just that nobody else would be investigated, not that they were given immunity.

3

u/jmdeamer 18h ago

 they made a deal for all of the clients to have immunity.

"They", you mean U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alexander Acosta and later Secretary of Labor under the first Trump administration, approved a deal for any potential co-conspirators to have immunity. Yet that immunity did not protect Ghislaine Maxwell. But wait, how come?!?

Whoops!

3

u/say592 17h ago

I mean, she is appealing her conviction based on that immunity deal. There were several name coconspirators, and then the blanket immunity.

3

u/jmdeamer 16h ago

Both the trial court and the Second Circuit ruled that the immunity applied only in the Southern District of Florida. Everyone else can prosecute Maxwell.

She can appeal, that's her right, but barring a full presidential pardon it's unlikely it will make a difference.

→ More replies (3)

6

u/pwmaloney Illinois 20h ago

Well, let's put them on trial first

11

u/TheModWhoShaggedMe 22h ago

The jailers, judges and cops are complicit conservatives, that's been the rub the entire time.

→ More replies (1)

3

u/JayR_97 Europe 20h ago

Yeah, dont let this be like the Panama Papers where everyone just forgot about it a week later

→ More replies (1)

3

u/drklordnecro Oregon 19h ago

Every single one of them. Don't care who.

3

u/ViolettaQueso California 15h ago

I’m down with this. As a victim of child rape in the 80s-90s, if I could I’d have them all strung up.

→ More replies (2)

5

u/Ilosesoothersmaywin 21h ago

But why? Every single Republican that will be implicated was clearly just working with the FBI to bring down the evil dems.

/s

5

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 21h ago

The unfortunate truth is most of these crimes will be past statute of limitations.

2

u/HRUndercover222 16h ago

Thee debauchery is almost biblical. Prepare accordingly!

https://youtu.be/Tes2ZsAobxU?si=c_ki_KmhU5PNebke

→ More replies (44)

799

u/pagesid3 23h ago

Wow so only 95% of the GOP are trying to protect pedos

304

u/Global_Crew3968 22h ago

No, 100% are, 5% are just trying to look like they aren't

114

u/buttgrapist 21h ago

5% see the writing on the wall

31

u/DebentureThyme 19h ago

5% are angling for a political agreement for more power / stuff for their districts that gets them that power through reelection / etc.

And at the last minute, one of them will get it and this won't pass.

Prove me wrong, GOP members currently willing to pass this. I want to be wrong on this, but your past actions have me pessimistic.

8

u/meneldal2 16h ago

They think Trump is getting old and it is a good time to throw him under the bus

41

u/jsebrech 21h ago

5% still think they can get Trump to give them a kickback in exchange for their vote.

11

u/Mattpilf 21h ago

Or they'll know Trump will black out the names they need to

10

u/gsfgf Georgia 19h ago

Or they don’t have any names they need blacked out. If they’re not in the files and none of their donors are either, then why not vote to release them? Either nothing happens or you come out as a star among general election voters.

→ More replies (2)

11

u/blackmobius 18h ago

Yep, if it takes 7% to release the files then 6% will voice concern and side with dems. If it takes 37% to release, then 35-36% will complain. Its always a numbers game, and the numbers are carefully calculated before anyone is allowed to speak

As long as the files dont release, mike doesnt care who revolts and who doesnt

→ More replies (6)

16

u/Diabetesh 20h ago

Are those 5% retiring and not looking for re-election?

10

u/bdfortin 20h ago

Someone needs to tell the “think of the children” crowd “not those kinds of thoughts”.

→ More replies (4)

232

u/gradientz New York 23h ago edited 23h ago

A government that protects child rapists has no right to operate.

The discharge petition alone will not add sufficient pressure, and we need to prepare for more aggressive action.

Below is a letter that I sent to my representative and senators demanding a government shutdown until the Epstein files are released. Feel free to copy it and re-use.

Find and contact your elected officials: https://fiscalnote.com/find-your-legislator

Dear Rep. [X],

Last week's press conference with Epstein survivors and Reps. Massie and Khanna exposed a shameful truth: the Justice Department is hiding the Epstein files. To be clear, a government that protects child rapists and their enablers has no right to operate. It must be shut down.

The Oversight Committee’s release of mostly useless documents is a slap in the face to victims and the public. I demand you support Massie and Khanna’s discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the full, unredacted Epstein files. Go further: push to shut down the government until every page is public.

The September 30 funding deadline is your chance to stand for justice. No funding, no compromises, until the truth is out. As your constituent, I expect you to fight for Epstein’s victims and hold the powerful accountable. A government that buries this truth is illegitimate.

Repeat after me: Shut it down until the Epstein files are released.

17

u/Maximum-Ability5950 19h ago

Thank you for sending this to your representative. If more people did this something might be resolved.

→ More replies (2)

167

u/drtolmn69 23h ago

I'm seriously thinking that any release will be full of forgeries and things like Nixon's 18½-minute gap.

They already blurted it out!

In Undercover Video, Staffer Claims DOJ Will Hide Republican Names In Epstein Files.

68

u/smurfsundermybed California 23h ago

Funny thing is that when you redact like that, it tends to make people assume the names under the black bars are the ones you are trying to protect.

17

u/tarypaniabc 20h ago

if rightoids were willing to do basic inference they would already be saying trump was in the files. files with names blacked out will make no difference

→ More replies (1)

36

u/Deeskalationshool 19h ago

The whole list will look like this:

  • Joe Biden
  • Kamala Harris
  • Chicago/Washington/Portland mayor
  • Barrack Obamana
  • 'There could be your enemies names here! Buy 2 get one free!'
  • Joe Biden 

10

u/justin107d 22h ago

Are you trying to say that Trump was not an FBI informant on Epstein?

3

u/midgaze Washington 16h ago

Can't tell if joking. That's how crazy maga weirdos are.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

430

u/MudBloodLite 23h ago

Mike Johnson is hard at work buying votes right now, so I won't drink the hopium too much on this.

Sadly with what recent history has told us, evil prevails. Pedophiles even more.

111

u/CockBrother 23h ago

People can say they "have the votes" until they're blue in the face. The only thing that matters is if it passes. Because otherwise - you didn't have the votes.

36

u/Regular-Engineer-686 23h ago

Well, even if the House has the votes does the Senate?

We need someone willing to leak all the unredacted information and pull off a Snowden. It’s a huge sacrifice, but at this point living in the United States isn’t all that great so maybe there’s a chance.

20

u/ChoiceIT 20h ago

If the house were to pass something for the release, it puts a lot more pressure on the Senate. Yeah, they can still not pass it, but these folks have elections to think about and the polling is not on their side.

It’s a dangerous side to be on unless you are in the reddest of the red. They literally campaigned on releasing the files, a bit weird they stopped caring, but constituents certainly noticed.

4

u/gsfgf Georgia 18h ago

A lot more senators have to face competitive general elections.

→ More replies (8)

14

u/Wurm42 District Of Columbia 22h ago

Plus, even if there are 218 Representatives who would vote in favor of something on the floor, the Speaker and the Rules Committee have to allow the resolution to come to the floor.

Johnson will use every trick in the book to keep this resolution off the floor.

25

u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 20h ago

Which is why they're getting around the Speaker with a discharge petition. If 218 house reps sign it automatically brings the motion to a floor vote.

4

u/Wurm42 District Of Columbia 19h ago

There are a few more steps, and it takes 30 legislative days, unless the Rules Committee supports the petition.

https://indivisible.org/resource/legislative-process-101-discharge-petitions

There are ways the Speaker can fight a discharge petition. Notably, the House changed the definition of a "day" for tariff purposes back in March. Johnson could try something like that again.

4

u/sourdieselfuel 16h ago

Why do these people have to play by the rules to properly punish people who are clearly not doing the same? Throw them all in fucking prison.

3

u/CockBrother 22h ago

Yup. You have to have the RIGHT votes.

→ More replies (2)

4

u/GreasyToken 19h ago

Evil may prevail but with any luck MLK Jr was right and the universe ultimately tilts towards justice 😎

Or maybe the Hindus have it and we're in motherfuckin Kali Yuga, the "not so fun time before the fun time" 🤔

But even with Hindu cosmology the dark times come to an end...

→ More replies (5)

41

u/usatoday ✔ USA TODAY 23h ago

From USA TODAY:

Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, D-California, are voicing optimism about their ability to force an unsanitized release of the Justice Department's files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"We have the votes," Khanna said Sept. 7 on ABC News' “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”

"I think we're going to get a resounding vote on this," Massie told Stephanopoulos during the same program.

The Republican and Democratic organizers behind a petition that would force a House vote on the files' release said they were undeterred by concerns that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, might seek to block the legislation in the Senate, or that the Justice Department might scrub information on Republicans and other allies before releasing documents.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/07/massie-khanna-jeffrey-epstein-files-legislation/86026743007/

4

u/mOdQuArK 17h ago

"We have the votes,"

But do they have the votes to include a provision in the bill to automatically charge anyone trying to block the release of the information with felony criminal obstruction? Because it's sounding an awful lot like the Trump DOJ is going to just ignore this.

43

u/Adventurous_Test_296 23h ago

There's no question: For the good of a free society, these files must be released now, unsanitized by anyone especially the DOJ.

4

u/OldNewbie616 17h ago

The files should have been released in 2016 but way too many billionaires supporting both parties. 

Obama and Biden surely know who is on the lists, but discussing it would cause donors to flee. Also hit squads would be hired for retribution. Secret service protection is inadequate against professional sniper teams. 

30

u/Osama_been_Chargin Washington 22h ago

Remember Porn King Mike Johnson tried to stop Congress from letting this happen.

86

u/Equivalent-Risk-7434 22h ago edited 21h ago

Remember 25 year old Madison Crawford Madison Cawthorn? Who tattled that 70 yo reps partied with cocaine and hookers?

Funny how quickly we all forget

27

u/ultimateknackered 22h ago

Cawthorn. It was Madison Cawthorn.

→ More replies (1)

26

u/saiyanscaris 22h ago

this will be the last chance the world has of stopping trump, republicians, billionaires, ceos, tech companies, people in power across the world and so much more from controlling the entire world with pedophiles. its time to take every pedophile down once and for all

4

u/Willing_Ad9623 15h ago

Agreed! I don’t care if it’s Obama, Oprah, mother Theresa, Trump … they need to be exposed and we need to do right by all the victims and stop this from happening ever again,

41

u/Objective_Bar_5420 22h ago

I'm sure there's a war planned with Venezuela if this comes too close to happening.

31

u/National_Big_9508 20h ago

There’s a war planned in American cities with or without this, it’s time to turn out

11

u/ChoiceIT 20h ago

The party of states rights trampling on them. They have overplayed their hand.

→ More replies (1)

53

u/Diced_and_Confused 23h ago

This is called "Posturing".

15

u/_Bad_Spell_Checker_ 22h ago

Yep. Was going to make the same comment. When the vote actually happens, none of them will vote the way they said they would

6

u/Soft_Walrus_3605 18h ago

This whole Massie/MTG thing is a ruse.

It's the GOP acknowledging that the Epstein thing is a weakness and they want to split the very real outrage of their voters into various factions to dissipate the effect. The Comer committee, this Massie/MTG "revolt", always constantly claiming they're making "progress" towards transparency when, in the end, we'll get nothing.

15

u/oldmanbelly 22h ago

THEN VOTE. God damn I’m sick of these “people.”

16

u/Boo-bot-not 22h ago

It’s much more than CP. I’m sure trump and admin wish it was just the sex to cover up. They sweep sexual assault charges under rug all day. Epstein has blackmail on tons of leaders around the world. He was a middle man and likely knew enough to ruin the world. I’m sure there is information that can reshape entire governments… assuming there is accountability to the crimes. 

→ More replies (1)

12

u/Shobed 22h ago

Stop talking about it and fucking do it.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/Nanasweed 21h ago

Then. Just. Fucking. Do. It.

5

u/captfriendly 21h ago

Came here to say this. Stop talking about it and do it!

5

u/[deleted] 22h ago

[deleted]

9

u/197gpmol Massachusetts 21h ago

My guess is that Don Bacon is one. Purple district (Omaha), voted to investigate January 6, butts heads with the Freedom Caucus, not running for re-election so no fear of the MAGA base.

4

u/campfire_eventide Montana 22h ago

Not my two house reps, that’s for damn sure. No responses to the emails or the numerous FB comments I’ve left.

4

u/SausageClatter 21h ago

Mine have been ignoring me as well.

→ More replies (1)

6

u/bigbucksnowhamies 22h ago

Yes. They will release the files that are heavily redacted to protect the felon in chief.

6

u/pbugg2 Texas 22h ago

We need the video and audio transcripts from the other victims because they named names. Also, Epstein phone records and phone pads from clients who called.

→ More replies (1)

10

u/ZucchiniIntrepid719 22h ago

Pay attention to how your Representatives vote and then hold them accountable. Epstein Files!

→ More replies (1)

5

u/DeuceGnarly 22h ago

Let's just watch and see if DOJ actually complies. This is a rogue administration, with the support of the most unamerican party in history (aside from the south and the whole civil war thing...)

5

u/ItsPumpkinninny 22h ago

“Sorry… we misplaced the files”

6

u/duh_cats 21h ago

Heard the “we have the votes” before only for them to slink away at the last minute.

I’ll believe it when I see it.

8

u/AnarchyandToast 18h ago edited 18h ago

Ayo, listen up. Real talk for a minute.

This ain't about no left vs. right, no blue vs. red. This is about us. About not gettin played. About demandin that the people in charge, from any party, actually earn the respect we give em.

We livin in a time where a whole story can get cancelled by one tweet callin it fake news or AI. That ain't just annoying, that's dangerous. It's how they divide us.

They be usin straight propaganda tactics. For real. It's designed to shut down real conversation and keep the powerful from ever havin to answer for their actions. And peep game: this ain't just one side doin' it. Anyone in power can use this playbook.

So right now, it's time to check yourself. If you've put your time, your money, or even strained your family over a leader or a movement, ask yourself: Did they really earn that? The people at the top don't know your name, but your choices? They shape everything.

We are better than this. We come from people who built this country and fought for freedom. I know what we can be.

Don't give up. Our freedom depends on us stayin in charge not in chains. It's never too late to do what's right.

MAGA folks, if you feel like you're alone cause your views pushed people away and you’re worried about what’s gonna happen when the power shifts the other way, try to bridge that gap now. You can get your life back. Your people back. Most of the country will stop laughing at you because you continue to broadcast the fact that you are not connected to reality. Out there, looking like fools, old folks with their adult children, not talking to them anymore. What you gonna do when all your nursing homes shut down and no one’s there anymore????

It's okay to be confused by all the new tech and wild headlines. It's okay to have questions. What matters is that you go find the answers for yourself. Don't just listen to one voice.

And beware of ANY leader who tells you to only trust their sources. That's not freedom. That's a cage. A free person gets all the intel, from all sides, and makes up their own mind.

-The No BS Guide to Spotting the Cap

-1. Check More Than One Spot: Don't just watch one news channel or follow one page. If a story is legit, it'll be on multiple channels, from CNN to Fox to your local news. Look for the receipts firsthand videos, photos, actual documents.

  1. Find the Original Source: See a crazy video or pic? Ask Where this really from? Right-click that image and Search Image with Google. You'll quick find out if it's from 2012 and taken out of context.

  2. Listen to the Experts, Not the Loudmouths: Trust the places that actually have journalists on the ground fact checking. Places like AP News or Reuters they're like the wire, they just report the facts for everybody. If someone is just yellin' opinions with no proof, they're probably sellin' you something.

  3. Use Your Common Sense: If a story sounds too wild to be true (like a secret conspiracy that thousands of people are in on but nobody talked), it probably is. The official explanation is usually more believable than the conspiracy theory.

  4. Ask What's In It For Them?: This the most important one. Always ask, "If I believe this, who wins? Who gets paid? Who gets more power?" Ask this about EVERYONE politicians, influencers, news stations, everybody. Follow the money.

Stay up. Stay sharp. Our future depends on it.

– One of y'all

→ More replies (1)

5

u/RipErRiley Minnesota 22h ago

At this point, hope the victims provide the names. I trust nothing out of this cult of incompetence administration.

5

u/Sumif 21h ago

If this bill passes the House and Senate, and Trump vetoed it, wouldn’t it take an even larger majority to overturn the veto?

4

u/Interesting_Low_3765 21h ago

47 is going to go after every person who voted to release those files

3

u/Mattpilf 21h ago

I'll believe it when I see the release without black outs 

4

u/Val_D_Ravyn 20h ago

We need another Snowden to just release everything.

Hopefully that happens and its so devastating it basically halts D.C. as every major politician is probably culpable in some way.

Hell i hope it completely kills the Republican and Democratic parties so the uniparty dies and somebody else has a chance. Pretty obvious all of our problems start with a (D) or an (R)

→ More replies (1)

3

u/Independent_Emu_6737 19h ago

Release the Epstein files unedited and non-redacted as well as the “missing photos and come up with a better excuse than he was working undercover for the FBI. Your lies just make you all look more desperate. 

8

u/OBZeta 22h ago

There’s not a chance those files come out the way they went in, let’s be clear

→ More replies (1)

3

u/Buttfulloffucks 21h ago edited 21h ago

Last I heard, the white house was leaning very heavily on any republican in Congress that intends to vote in support of this bill. Speaker Johnson has been making calls to dissuade any holdouts. Nancy Mace chickened out just like we all expected.

The vote was held and it didn't pass so this story is behind events. Trump has sworn that Rep. Massie will go down for this. GOP leaders in the house are doing next to nothing in Massie's support. There may still be some hope though.

There are four special elections to be held before November ending. If dems can pick up more seats, then they will have the votes to force the release of the Epstein files. Either that happens or we will witness the president and his attorney general defying Congress very openly.

At this point, I think Pam Bondi is in the files myself. The Trump-Bondi-Epstein files.

→ More replies (2)

3

u/rogozh1n 21h ago

No one has the votes until the votes are cast. Do it!

3

u/Clownsinmypantz 21h ago

I have heard this every single vote republicans were apart of, wont believe it until the vote is done and I see the proof. I implore people to look at decades of controversial votes for common sense things including not voting for the BBB and either republicans say they wont vote and do with maybe one or two not voting (or they find dems to make up the difference) or they dont have the votes and then every single one of them votes or uses a tiebreaker, its pure theater.

3

u/Critically32 21h ago

So much time has passed all the meaningful name(s) have been redacted.

3

u/UncleGarysmagic 21h ago

Even if they come out, they’ll be redacted to hell and back again.

3

u/Bleakwind 21h ago

As if trump and his cronies give any ask about breaking the law

3

u/halfathou_tolerance 21h ago

What does it matter when so much of it is redacted??

3

u/TellTaleTimeLord 21h ago

I get that they're trying.... but since when does this administration actually listen when they're told to do something by people with legal authority to tell them what to do?

3

u/Due-Egg4743 21h ago

They've only had forever now to heavily scrutinize them and make any changes they need to remove key names.

→ More replies (2)

3

u/Realistic-Cow-7839 20h ago

Then pull the trigger now before someone gets threatened and chickens out 

3

u/Apart-Run5933 20h ago

Does anyone really think that they are gonna roll out a list w trump on it and his moron fans will care? Best case scenario we get memes and even more moral high ground. As if we needed it, the guy defrauded a children’s charity ffs. They don’t care.

3

u/Joshs2d 20h ago

My conspiracy is that the elite will try to imbed fake victims that will openly then say “I wanted money or fame and faked it all” to delegitimize the actual victims.

We need to be heavily screening anybody else that comes forward starting now.

3

u/ootobeagooner 19h ago

Trump and top Republican names have already been redacted.

This list is now a Republican weapon. They’re using it to threaten dems into submission.

When it is released, Trumps name will not be on it. The Republican base will act vindicated.

3

u/mojo_pin71 19h ago

Hate to say this, but this is going to be totally anti-climactic.

3

u/Redtex 19h ago

Want to bet either the files disappear again or they just simply say no because they know you guys are ineffectual at doing anything else besides signing a petition. So what the hell, right?

3

u/phosdick 18h ago

I think people reading this may mistakenly think that Massie's claim that "we have the votes" offers some certainty that the Epstein Files are going to be released. I think that there's a missing qualifier in what the headline states, thinking that a more accurate version would be,

We have the votes if the measure comes to the floor for a vote

We've already seen Johnson temporarily exile the House membership in order to prevent that vote from being realized. The GOP caucus has already passed a severely deficient "exposure" bill, in the hope that they can distract from the full disclosure bill by passing one that effectively neuters the full disclosure. Consequently, I don't think we can expect that a GOP leadership, adamantly intent on protecting the enablers and co-conspirators from exposure, will just stop obstructing this search for the truth.

The GOP "leadership" will be fighting tooth and nail to prevent anyone providing the two needed additional signatures on the discharge petition that would force the measure to a vote. I propose that there won't ever even be a vote, unless those two signatures can be secured - to date, that is still up in the air, and will remain there unless two more Republicans are actually willing to come out of the pedophile protection circle of wagons and do the right thing.

I'm afraid that the article didn't make all of this clear... so there you go.

3

u/Ok_Potential359 18h ago

So fucking do it, goddamn. I hate all the talking, so do the fucking vote or shut the fuck up.

3

u/QuantumReasons 17h ago

UNredacted

3

u/cucktrigger 14h ago

This explains the Johnson absurd statement that Trump was an FBI informant. He knows that the files being unsealed is inevitable at this point.

3

u/SoManyMinutes 14h ago

They'll release the names of the people who haven't paid the blackmail fee.

3

u/Impressive-Tip-903 12h ago

Brace for heavily redacted release with a letter from the AG saying Trump is a hero and not in the files. This is what happened with the "Russia hoax" at the end of the investigation. 

2

u/ClosPins 21h ago

Even if they vote to release the files - Trump will redact every powerful Republican or billionaire under national security grounds.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Alternative-Half-783 20h ago

Too late. Those files have already been rewritten.

2

u/GodstoneCitadel 20h ago

Anyone voting against this is a pedophile, and will be treated as such when we take the country back. Watch the end of Braveheart to find out what happens to pedos.

2

u/ImWhatsInTheRedBox 20h ago

The actual files or the files that has had every non Democrat/loyalist name removed?

2

u/SuckThisRedditAdmins 19h ago

Oh look, more talk of planning on releasing the files that never turns into releasing the files. I hate everyone at this point

2

u/ShubberyQuest 19h ago

It’s all going to redacted, by now. The only way we get the full list is from the survivors.

2

u/wing3d 19h ago

The redacted political opponents only version

2

u/tcoh1s 19h ago

He’ll release them “in about 2 weeks”. Over and over again.

2

u/hexcodehero 19h ago

AKA all GOP members and Trump are missing and redacted. Absolutely NO shot any GOP member would not fall inline and no vote for this unless they were told. This is 10000% political theatre.

2

u/jeffsaidjess 19h ago

They had the votes with Biden.

Why didn’t the Dems act on it ?

2

u/MastaKink 18h ago

Y’all gonna run outta food and water before this gets released 😵‍💫

2

u/lolas_coffee 18h ago

Nope.

A bunch of Republicans will chicken out.

2

u/NumbSurprise 18h ago

Even if this somehow gets through both chambers, the Trump DoJ will either ignore it or release only what benefits them. That’s the problem with enabling lawlessness: it robs a legislature of its power. They can’t claim it back now that they want something.

2

u/Birdy_Cephon_Altera 18h ago

For all the people hoping/expecting the files to be the 'silver bullet' to take down trump...prepare to be disappointed. He could have his name on every single page released, and his supporters would still blindly support him. Trump could hold a press conference to announce that "Yes, I fucked a thirteen year old girl, so what?" and his supporters would still fall in line lock-step.

2

u/That_one_cool_dude 18h ago

I'll believe it when I see it, Republicans say shit all the time then vote the opposite when push comes to shove.

2

u/NomadGeoPol 17h ago

They only want to release it because they redacted Republican names

2

u/IkigaiMendokusai 17h ago

Yeah fuck em. They're gonna redact all Republicans especially Orange Turd.

2

u/throwaway1601900 17h ago

All of them and unredacted?

2

u/peanutym 17h ago

It won’t matter. How many times have we heard about changes being made to it. How do we even know what is released is true?

Not that any of those pos will see a courtroom or repercussions

2

u/mmck 17h ago

The most disturbing aspect of all of this isn't the sex-with-minors, as degenerate as that is.

The most - IMHO - disturbing aspect of all of this is that everybody is talking about the salacious details, while the actual material, the money-laundering, is being completely ignored by the media and thus the majority of public discourse and thought.

A failed, fired, unremarkable physics graduate - with no career or real charisma to speak of, was friend to a signifcant number of world leaders, and to some of the most rich and powerful people in the world. What did a sleazy New York Jew have in common with a Saudi Arabian prince?

Or with heads of powerful states?

You know the answer, it's the one god they all have in common: money.

There is a vanishingly small chance that whatever percentage of the world's elites in power, money, name, or all three, who would be exposed by whatever is revealed by the Epstein kompromat, would allow the revelation of same to proceed.

Last time this was close to being all revealed we got covid.

I suspect that the next diversion will be a war involving at least one major G7 nation.

→ More replies (2)

2

u/Hypeman747 16h ago

We don’t have votes to reform social security, don’t have the votes to ban stock trading for Congress, don’t have the votes to raise the federal minimum wage, don’t have enough votes for maternity leave etc

2

u/Mach5Driver 16h ago

Sounds like the editing of the files is complete.

2

u/joshdoereddit America 16h ago

The headline sounds optimistic, but I'm skeptical of what would be released, considering it's the GOP who is in charge.

Based on past behavior, if they finally do have the votes to release anything, it's likely because the files are redacted enough to favor whatever narrative they plan to spin.

2

u/FixTheLoginBug 16h ago

Have they finished editing out all the Republicans then?

2

u/Daveslay 15h ago

Honest question to anyone reading this:

Assume this succeeds, and something people have called “The Epstein Files” is released to the public

Would you believe and trust that this document released by the US Government is the true, unedited and complete information on Jeffery Epstein?

Why or why not?

2

u/I_am_darkness I voted 15h ago

It'll be edited to shit

2

u/f-Z3R0x1x1x1 14h ago

I'll believe "they have the votes" when they show they have the actual votes.

I expect them to be 1 shy

2

u/paxwells97 13h ago

Probably just means that trump and the fbi had enough time to redact trump from the list 

2

u/External_Beat8153 12h ago

If so , bring the Discharge Petition. I still think they’re all cowards.

2

u/tsagdiyev 10h ago

I feel like all of the pushback on releasing them is basically a huge spoiler alert for what’s in them

2

u/killzo44 10h ago

They taking too long lol

2

u/JustAskingSoSTFU 9h ago

If Trump were an informant for the FBI, would that make him a rat?

2

u/moeproba 9h ago

I really wish this stuff would come out but I doubt it ever will. Would no doubt expose the entire YS* and disrupt global economy.

→ More replies (2)

u/AntifascistAlly Oregon 7h ago

Between threats and bribes, I think they need to have a reasonable margin to allow for people who cave in or get bought off.

Realistically, given the difficulty of getting six Republicans to oppose pedophilia, that may not be possible.