Epstein Accusers, Bipartisan Lawmakers Push to Release Files Ahead of House Vote — "This Is One Demand We All Share"

More than a dozen women who say they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein joined lawmakers from both parties outside the U.S. Capitol to press Congress to make remaining government records public as the House prepared to vote on a bill to release those files.

Rep. Ro Khanna, who sponsored the measure, called the revelations “one of the most horrific and disgusting corruption scandals in our country’s history” and said survivors’ courage is driving the push for transparency. “Because survivors spoke up, because of their courage, the truth is finally going to come out,” he said.

Calls for transparency across party lines

At a broadly bipartisan news conference, accusers urged lawmakers to put politics aside. Haley Robson said, “It’s time that we put the political agendas and party affiliations to the side.” Annie Farmer called it “a case of institutional betrayal,” while Liz Stein emphasized that “the Epstein files are not about loyalty to any one political party. They’re evidence of a crime.” Lisa Phillips summed up the appeal: “In a divided nation, this is one demand we all share.”

“I beg you, President Trump, please stop making this political. It is not about you. You are our president. Please start acting like it,”

Jena-Lisa Jones described the administration’s back-and-forth on the issue as emotionally “distressing” and urged the president to exercise leadership rather than politicize the matter. President Trump initially opposed releasing the files and criticized Republicans who supported disclosure, but he later urged House Republicans to back release as passage became likely, saying “we have nothing to hide.”

Background and broader stakes

Public interest in the documents intensified after a July Justice Department internal review found no “client list” or evidence that Epstein systematically blackmailed prominent figures. That finding prompted renewed calls for fuller disclosure of investigatory materials. Khanna argued that people implicated by association with Epstein should not continue to benefit from honors or platforms, noting that some alleged enablers “still are celebrated in our society.”

Khanna also praised the bipartisan efforts of Rep. Thomas Massie (R‑Ky.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R‑Ga.), who joined Democrats in forcing the issue onto the floor via a discharge petition.

Lawmakers warn of next battles

Massie thanked the survivors for stepping forward and said their courage could encourage other victims to come forward. “These survivors have stepped forth, taking that same risk,” he said, adding that they have faced defamation for doing so and deserve justice.

Greene, who said she has been publicly criticized for her role on the petition, praised the accusers for fighting “the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight” and warned that releasing the records may not be the end of the struggle. She and Massie suggested the Justice Department could open or expand investigations into Epstein’s relationships to delay disclosure — a possibility President Trump has publicly speculated about — but Massie argued prosecutors cannot indefinitely use investigations to conceal everything in the files.

If the House approves the bill, it would move to the Senate, where leaders had not committed to a timetable for action. Lawmakers who backed the measure urged senators not to derail the effort, warning that blocking disclosure would be viewed as a betrayal of public trust.

What to watch next: whether the House passes the bill, whether the Senate takes it up, and whether the Department of Justice cites ongoing investigations in efforts to withhold or delay release of documents.