
In a show of rebellion within the Republican ranks, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) are resisting mounting pressure from Trump officials and senior House GOP leaders to withdraw their support for a bipartisan effort demanding the full release of government files related to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Politico reported Monday.
Their signatures and public backing are pivotal to the success of a discharge petition spearheaded by Reps. Thomas Massie (R‑Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D‑Calif.), which aims to force a House floor vote on the transparency measure.
The Massie‑Khanna “Epstein Files Transparency Act” is legislation introduced in July that would require the Department of Justice to publicly release all unclassified files related to Epstein and co‑conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. The bill allows redactions for victims’ identities and other legally protected content.
Because leadership has been reluctant to bring the issue directly to the floor, Massie and Khanna are using a discharge petition — a procedural tool that, once signed by a majority of the House (218 members), forces consideration of the bill even without support from House leadership.
"The timeline for a potential vote is unclear with House GOP leaders considering keeping the chamber out on recess next week," Politico noted.
Meanwhile, according to a New York Times report published Sunday, Greene said she was angered after an unnamed aide to President Donald Trump signaled that supporting legislation to release government documents tied to Epstein would be seen as a “very hostile act.” In response, she says she phoned a senior West Wing official and pushed back hard.
“I told them, ‘You didn’t get me elected. I do not work for you; I work for my district,’” she recalled in her comments to The Times.
“We aren’t supposed to just be whipped on our votes because they’re telling us what to do … or saying ‘We’ll primary you,’ or that we won’t get invited to the White House events.”