The dismissal petition demanding the release of Epstein's files has officially passed the crucial threshold of 218 signatures, clearing the way for a potential vote.
The last signature was secured just as Democratic Arizona Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who succeeded her late father, longtime Rep. Raul Grijalva, was sworn in as the newest member of the House weeks after winning her special election. (RELATED: Democratic special election winner could force House of Representatives to pass motion to remove Epstein)
Grijalva concluded her speech after being sworn in by promising to sign the petition immediately, declaring, “Justice cannot wait another day.”
“That's why I will sign my resignation right now to release the Epstein files” – Rep. Grijalva pic.twitter.com/OGtUaYxOj5
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 12, 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson is delayed Grijalva swearing-in, linking it to the Senate's inaction on government funding bills during the shutdown. He has argued due to the long recesses in the House, he was unable to seat her, while several Democrats accused he was deliberately delayed by her vow to delay a vote on the release of Epstein's files.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California filed the resolution July 15—“Epstein File Transparency Act– co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, which sought to refer a bill to force full public release of all unclassified records related to Jeffrey Epstein to the House Rules Committee. Massie later filed a petition on September 2 asking to be removed from the committee, according to the House Clerk website
As of press time, Massie is one of four House Republicans to sign the petition, compared to 214 House Democrats. Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene joined Massey in signing the petition, which was stalled in recent weeks as nearly all GOP lawmakers refused to sign it. (RELATED: Republicans Block Petition to Fire Epstein)
And now she has signed her resignation, ending her speech with the words: “Justice cannot wait another day.” https://t.co/XsOlD1dCdf
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 12, 2025
Once the petition reaches the required 218 signatures, it will initiate a process that could ultimately bring the measure to a House vote. However, there must be a short waiting period before this happens. After seven legislative days, any lawmaker who signed the petition can formally request the measure be considered on the floor. At this point, the Speaker must schedule a vote within a specified time frame, paving the way for debate and possibly eventual adoption.
Johnson said Oct. 21 that he would not block a vote on the resolution to release the records if it received the required number of signatures. (RELATED: Johnson vows not to delay vote on Epstein tapes)
Under the proposal, 30 days after the law takes effect, the Attorney General will be required Make all unclassified Department of Justice (DOJ) records, including those of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Attorney's Offices, available to the public in a searchable and downloadable form, with certain permitted exceptions.
We have just released ALL subpoenaed DOJ documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
📁 Access them here: https://t.co/oGY6BYcAcO
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) September 2, 2025
The resolution allows Bondi to withhold or delete portions of records containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), cases of rape, physical assault or death, as well as any personal information of alleged victims. It also allows you to redact information that could jeopardize ongoing federal investigations or prosecutions or relate to matters of national defense or foreign policy.
September 2 House Oversight Committee released thousands of subpoena records related to Jeffrey Epstein that were obtained through the Justice Department. On August 22, the committee confirmed that it had received documents totaling more than 33,000 pages.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify the legislative process.
