- Republican lawmakers intensify pressure on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release Jeffrey Epstein files.
- Trump’s efforts to downplay the controversy face resistance within his own party.
- A bipartisan House discharge petition is one vote away from forcing a floor vote.
- Epstein client list expectations fuel demands for accountability and public trust.
- Senators Josh Hawley and Rand Paul defy GOP leadership, backing transparency.
Momentum is rapidly building on Capitol Hill as Republicans edge closer to forcing the Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
For months, President Trump has sought to dismiss the issue, urging Republicans and MAGA activists to move on. Yet inside Congress, GOP lawmakers privately acknowledge that the calls for transparency are no longer fading—they are growing louder.
One Republican senator, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, admitted that congressional legislation directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the Epstein files is “inevitable.”
Lawmakers note that many Republicans who refrained from signing a discharge petition under the guidance of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have nonetheless been “very vocal” in demanding disclosure.
“Whole bunches of them have been very vocal about this, most of the Freedom Caucus has been,” the senator explained. “The problem for some of these folks is that this has been an issue for years.”
The uproar intensified after Bondi herself fueled expectations earlier this year. In February, she revealed that a list of Epstein’s clients “is sitting on” her “desk right now to review.” That remark ignited speculation that high-profile, wealthy men could soon be exposed. “That was really unwise,” the lawmaker added.
A bipartisan discharge petition, championed by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), is now only one signature away from forcing a House vote. Once Arizona holds its special election on September 23 to fill the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s (D-Ariz.) seat—where his daughter Adelita is favored to win—the threshold of 218 signatures is expected to be met.
So far, just four House Republicans—Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), and Lauren Boebert (Colo.)—have signed. Yet others, like Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), have voiced strong support for transparency without formally signing on.
“Yeah, I think that the American people are sick and tired of being lied to by their government or … the government holding these secrets that they deserve to know the truth on,” Burlison said in July.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) echoed those sentiments, telling ABC News he was “ticked off” when Trump dismissed the controversy as a Democratic hoax.
On the Senate side, Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has tread carefully, declining to commit to bringing House legislation up for a vote. Still, he conceded, “I believe that transparency is always best and you should get as much information out there as you possibly can in a way that protects the rights of the victims.”
The issue became even more politically charged when Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) caught Republicans off guard with a surprise amendment to the annual defense authorization bill. The amendment, calling for the release of the Epstein files, forced GOP senators into a tough spot.
Despite GOP leadership’s efforts to label the move a “political stunt,” Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) broke ranks, siding with Democrats in favor of disclosure.
“My position has long been I think we ought to release those files and trust the American people, just like we did with the MLK files and the JFK files,” Hawley said.
Paul added that transparency was essential to restoring public faith in the justice system: “People are losing faith in government and people have this idea that rich people get treated differently. I think it’s worth opening up [the Justice Department’s Epstein files] to reassure people.”
While only a handful of House Republicans have publicly signed the discharge petition, Sen. Paul argued that broader support exists behind the scenes. “They’re trying whatever they can to squelch dissent with brute force,” he said of GOP leadership.
Other Republicans, like Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), signaled that in a legitimate legislative setting, they would back full disclosure. “If there was an amendment on the floor that would have the force of law, I’d vote for it in a heartbeat,” Tillis said.
Further momentum came when Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee backed an amendment from Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), requiring the DOJ to compile and report on all Epstein-related records, including victim testimony, co-conspirator investigations, and intelligence assessments of Epstein’s financial ties.
The political stakes are clear: pressure is mounting, bipartisan support is growing, and the question of Epstein’s client list continues to hang over Washington. For the Trump administration, the battle to contain the controversy may soon be lost.
