Rep. Thomas Massie has successfully forced a second House vote to facilitate the release of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The measure, dubbed the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, will come up for a vote in the coming weeks after Massie circulated another discharge petition, a process that places a piece of legislation in front of the full House if more than half of all House members sign it.
The legislation gives state attorneys general the power to represent victims of Epstein’s abuse and sue the Justice Department for failing to comply with a previous law — also championed by Massie — that compelled the department to release all of its Epstein-related documents.
Rep. John Garamendi (D-California) was the last Democratic signature Wednesday, one day after Rep. Adam Smith (D-Washington) added his name. Most Democrats, as well as four Republicans, had signed the petition ahead of the weekslong congressional recess before the midterms.
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Garamendi’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Massie celebrated hitting the required number of signatures on Wednesday on X, saying he was working with several other lawmakers to get the legislation “to the floor for a vote soon.”
Garamendi and Smith signed a separate discharge petition last year to help pass the original Epstein Files Transparency Act, sponsored by Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California).
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