Justice can't be avoided "just to avoid embarrassment for some very powerful men" who could be implicated in late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's files, Rep. Thomas Massie said Sunday, as bipartisan calls grow to release the records.
The Kentucky Republican, speaking on ABC News' "This Week," said those who may be named in the documents must be held accountable regardless of status.
He suggested connections to influential donors and intelligence agencies might explain resistance to disclosure, though he did not provide evidence.
Being named in the files does not itself indicate wrongdoing. Survivors of Epstein's abuse pressed lawmakers last week to ensure the full release of the records.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who appeared on the same program, said he and Massie have secured enough support in the House to force a vote on a discharge petition they are sponsoring that would require the Justice Department to make the Epstein files public.
"We have the 218 votes, 216 already support it," Khanna said. "There are two vacancies that haven't been reported as much, but two Democrats are going to be joining, and they are both committed to signing it. That's going to happen by the end of September."
Epstein, who pleaded guilty to sex crimes in 2008, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on new charges. His network of political, business, and social connections has fueled speculation about who might appear in federal records.
President Donald Trump said Friday the Justice Department has already given Congress "everything requested of them," and he and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., insist that further demands are political.
Massie rejected that argument, while Khanna praised Republicans who signed the petition despite Trump's opposition.
"This is a moral issue. It's about standing with survivors. It's about protecting children," Khanna said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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