US House Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky) said that he is introducing a discharge petition today to force the administration to release the Epstein Files. He said that everybody “deserves to know what’s in the Epstein files, who’s implicated, and how deep this corruption goes”. And an hour back, Indian origin senator Ro Khanna (D-Calif), who co-sponsored Massie’s resolution, proposed a new law, which would be called the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” if passed. 

“Then let’s let the people decide. Retweet if you support my bill to protect the victims and release the Epstein Files,” Khanna wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

What does the bill say?

The bill mandates that within 30 days of its enactment, the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, must release all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein case held by the Department of Justice, including files from the FBI and US Attorneys’ Offices.

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This includes the flight logs, FBI files, immunity agreements, the names of individuals involved, and any evidence of a cover-up. The bill also calls for Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex offender, to testify in connection with the Epstein investigation.

It further states that no record can be “withheld, delayed or redacted” on the basis of “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity”, even if they involve government officials, public figures, or foreign dignitaries.

However, the DOJ is permitted to withhold or redact information that would identify victims or include medical records, child sexual abuse materials, images depicting death, physical abuse or injury, or any content constituting an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. All such redactions must be documented with written justifications.

The bill directs Bondi to declassify materials to the “maximum extent possible”. 

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Additionally, within 15 days of the release, Bondi must submit a report to Congress detailing the records disclosed and withheld, a summary of all redactions, and a list of all government officials and politically exposed persons named in the released materials, without any redactions.

Trump on Epstein

Trump, while speaking to reporters, said that he doesn’t understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody. “I don’t understand what the interest or what the fascination is. I really don’t. The credible information is given… I don’t understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody. It’s pretty boring stuff…. I think really only pretty bad people, including fake news, want to keep something like that going.”

Earlier, in a Truth Social post, he said that the Epstein files were written by “Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the losers and criminals of the Biden Administration” and that his administration, including Kash Patel, should not “waste time and energy” on the “guy who never dies”. 

Pam Bondi, who walked back her stance that a document was sitting on her desk related to the client list, dodged questions about US President Donald Trump’s comments on the Epstein files. When asked if she is expected to keep her job, she said that she would be there as long as the President wants her – a statement similar to FBI director Kash Patel. 

Last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI issued a two-page statement denying the existence of a “client list” related to individuals to whom Jeffrey Epstein trafficked underage girls. They also stated that there was no credible evidence suggesting that Epstein had blackmailed prominent figures as part of his criminal activities.

Additionally, the Department of Justice released a video in an attempt to prove that Epstein died by suicide in jail. However, the recording was missing a crucial minute, raising more questions than it answered and casting doubt on the government’s narrative.