Thomas Massie says the second bill would let members take the Justice Department to court for keeping files hidden
Thomas MassieU.S. representative from Kentucky and lead sponsor of the bill, in a post on X
Massie writes that the discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II will get 218 signatures when the House returns the next week, guaranteeing a vote, and that the bill would let survivors get their own records, let state attorneys general prosecute crimes and let members take the Justice Department to court for keeping critical files hidden.
Responding to
The Justice Department continues to unlawfully withhold more than 3 million Epstein files and is maintaining heavy redactions on the files it releases.
“Survivors will be able to get their own records, State Attorneys General can prosecute crimes, and we can take the DOJ to court for keeping critical files hidden.”
Original post
Where this statement fits
Massie says a second Epstein files bill will get the 218 signatures needed to force a House vote; the Justice Department says it complied with the first law
Rep. Thomas Massie says a discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which would let states, survivors and members of Congress sue the Justice Department over withheld Epstein records, will reach 218 signatures when the House returns. The House clerk lists 216. The department says it complied with the 2025 law.
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Original post
About this source
Massie writes that when the House returns the next week, the discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II will get 218 signatures, which he says guarantees a vote. He says the bill would let survivors get their own records, let state attorneys general prosecute crimes and let members take the Justice Department to court for keeping files hidden.
Before the quotation
Massie opens the post by saying that when the House returns the next week, the petition will get 218 signatures for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which he says guarantees a vote.
After the quotation
This is the last sentence of the post.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files under the 2025 Epstein Files Transparency Act, which the Epstein Files Transparency Act II would let states, victims and members of Congress challenge in court. Massie says the department is keeping critical files hidden and presents the bill as a way to take it to court, which condemns its handling of the files.
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More from this case
Read the full caseLetitia James says the federal administration has failed to release Epstein records as the law requires
“Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act to ensure accountability and transparency, but the federal administration has failed to release records as the law requires.”Read statement
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson says Trump has done more for Epstein's victims than anyone before him
“by releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee's subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calling for more investigations into Epstein's Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein's victims than anyone before him.”Read statement
Todd Blanche says the Justice Department complied with the Epstein files law
“This administration, when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, has been more transparent than any past administration, than Biden was or anybody else and what we did is we complied with the law.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Thomas Massie says the second bill would let members take the Justice Department to court for keeping files hidden". First published: 2026-11-08. Last updated: 2026-11-08. https://disputeindex.com/events/8374-massie-writes-that-the-discharge-petition-for-the