White House slams Massie’s Epstein bill as a ‘very hostile act’ — some Republicans sign on anyway

While the White House has tried to move past the Epstein files, some Republicans are reigniting the pressure campaign for transparency.

The commotion surrounding the Epstein files largely subsided in early August after Congress left Washington, D.C., for its annual five-week recess. Now that the Hill is back in full force, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky is once again leading the charge to release the Epstein files.

‘They’re threatening anyone who helps bring true transparency.’

Massie filed a discharge petition on Tuesday as soon as Congress came back into session. The discharge petition, should it reach at least 218 signatures, would force a vote on his bill to make public all Epstein-related materials with minimal redactions.

Although Massie’s petition has gained traction with Democrats, a White House official warned Republicans that signing on to the petition would be viewed as a “hostile act” by the administration.

RELATED: Thomas Massie leads pressure campaign, forcing Congress to address Epstein

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“Helping Thomas Massie and liberal Democrats with their attention-seeking, while the DOJ is fully supporting a more comprehensive file release effort from the Oversight Committee, would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration,” the official said in an email to NBC.

Within two hours of Massie’s filing, the petition secured the backing of 131 Democrats and three Republicans: Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Assuming all 212 Democrats back Massie’s petition, he will need six Republicans besides himself to meet the 218 signature threshold.

“I’m committed to doing everything possible for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein,” Greene said in a post on X. “Including exposing the cabal of rich and powerful elites that enabled this.”

RELATED: FBI, DOJ Epstein memo sparks right-wing outrage: ‘Nobody is believing this’

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“They’re threatening anyone who helps bring true transparency and justice for the survivors,” Massie said in a post on X. “This is a tacit admission the Oversight Committee data release is woefully incomplete.”

The data release Massie is referring to came from the House Oversight Committee Tuesday afternoon and includes over 33,000 Epstein-related documents that were made publicly available.

“As a survivor, I stand with victims demanding justice and full transparency,” Mace said in a post on X. “I also just signed the discharge petition to ensure the full truth comes out.”

House Republicans also scheduled a vote later in the week to allow the House Oversight Committee to “continue its ongoing investigation” into the government’s “possible mismanagement” of the Epstein case. Massie pushed back, calling it a “meaningless vote” meant to provide “political cover” for politicians who don’t want to support his bill.

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