A petition in the U.S. House of Representatives to compel a vote on releasing files related to deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein reached the necessary 218 signatures on Wednesday, setting the stage for the measure to move directly to the House floor. The petition’s success allows lawmakers to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson, who had previously been accused by critics of stalling the process.
The decisive signature came from newly sworn-in Democratic Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva, who was inaugurated late Wednesday afternoon. Her addition brought the total number of signatories to 218, comprising all Democratic members and four Republicans. Speaker Johnson had delayed Grijalva’s swearing-in following her special election victory on September 25th, just days before the federal government entered a 50-day shutdown on October 1st — a move that has fueled speculation he sought to postpone the petition’s certification.
Earlier that day, Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert — one of the four GOP members who signed the petition — reportedly met with senior Trump administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. Sources familiar with the meeting allege that White House officials attempted to persuade Boebert to withdraw her signature before Grijalva’s swearing-in. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the meeting only in general terms, describing it as “a discussion on transparency” rather than political pressure.
President Donald Trump responded to the growing controversy by dismissing the Epstein case as “a Democrat hoax,” following the release of a set of emails by Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee. The disclosed correspondence, taken from Epstein’s estate, appeared to include references to interactions between Epstein and Trump as late as 2015 — contradicting Trump’s past claims that he severed all ties with Epstein after 2006, while also hinting at a relationship even after Trump assumed the Presidency in 2017.