Jeffrey Epstein

NPR - A bipartisan group of Congress members are trying today to force a vote to make the Trump administration release more of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The Justice Department initially promised to release more details on the convicted sex offender, then abruptly said there was nothing more to see. This has been a focal topic surrounding the administration, as President Trump was a longtime friend of Epstein until a falling out in the early 2000s. Some of the women Epstein victimized are expected to appear at the Capitol today, including Lisa Phillips, who spoke to NPR. She says that to her, releasing the files isn’t a political issue; it's a human rights issue. 

Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed a “discharge petition” yesterday to try to get around leadership and force a vote, NPR’s Domenico Montanaro tells Up First. They would need 218 signatures from the House to move forward. It would still need to pass the Senate, meaning this measure alone won’t result in the documents' release. Proponents of the petition hope that this pressure will lead the administration to do more, including releasing more files on its own. Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who is also central in the effort to force the vote, says he wants full accountability and is advocating for Epstein’s victims.