U.S. Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) takes questions from reporters on the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 23, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Home Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday criticized the push to pressure a vote within the U.S. Home on releasing extra federal files pertaining to intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein as “reckless,” whereas the measure’s co-sponsors fired again in opposition to Republican Party management.
“Home Republicans insist upon the discharge of all credible proof and knowledge associated to Epstein in any approach,” Johnson, R-La., stated on NBC News.
“However we’re additionally insisting upon the safety of harmless victims,” Johnson continued.
“And our concern is that the … discharge petition is reckless in the way in which that it’s drafted and introduced, it doesn’t adequately embrace these protections,” he added, referring to the measure launched by Reps. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
In the meantime, Massie and Khanna took to the airwaves on Sunday to defend their invoice — and criticize the Republican management, whom they see as standing in the way in which of holding a vote on the measures.
Massie and Khanna each repudiated the allegations that releasing the Epstein information would harm victims of the financier and convicted intercourse abuser.
In an interview on NBC News, Massie stated that Johnson was making a “straw man argument” when the speaker stated that the invoice doesn’t embrace protections for victims.
“Ro and I fastidiously crafted this laws in order that the victims’ names will likely be redacted and that no youngster pornography will likely be launched,” Massie stated.
The lawmaker’s feedback underscore the continued divisions throughout the GOP over the Epstein information, which proceed to gasoline conspiracy theories among the many celebration’s MAGA base and infuriate a few of President Donald Trump’s strongest supporters.
On Friday, Trump deflected questions about Epstein, a former buddy. Epstein died from suicide whereas in jail weeks after being arrested on youngster intercourse trafficking expenses in 2019.
“I’ve nothing to do with the man,” Trump stated of the person he had socialized with for years earlier than a falling out within the mid-2000s with the convicted pedophile.
The Trump administration has confronted rising backlash in current weeks after the Justice Division walked again on earlier plans to launch the information associated to Epstein’s case.
Massie additionally criticized Johnson on Sunday for starting its August recess early within the U.S. Home, avoiding being pressured to take the vote on the motions associated to the Epstein information.
“The query is, why is not Mike Johnson having this vote? Why did he ship us dwelling early?” Massie stated on ABC News.
He additionally warned of the political implications if Johnson doesn’t maintain a vote on the invoice.
“I am going to let you know what’s politically going to be a legal responsibility is, if we do not vote on this, and we go into the midterms and all people … they simply take a look at as a result of Republicans did not preserve their promise,” he stated.
“We’ll lose the bulk,” he continued.
Massie stated that he thinks stress will construct to carry a vote on it by the August recess interval.
Some Democrats, together with Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are additionally backing the invoice.
Massie was additionally requested how he would react if Trump granted convicted Epstein confederate Ghislaine Maxwell some type of clemency.
“I do not assume she deserves that or wants that,” Massie stated on ABC Information, including that “it is laborious to imagine that she, herself, and Epstein did these crimes by themselves,” which implies it is “time to seek out out who else was concerned,” by evaluating paperwork, financial institution data and others together with plea bargains beforehand underneath seal.
In current days, Maxwell was granted limited immunity by the Justice Division to reply questions concerning the Jeffrey Epstein case.
This sort of immunity allowed Maxwell to reply questions from Deputy Lawyer Normal Todd Blanche, Trump’s former private lawyer, with out concern that the knowledge she supplied might later be used in opposition to her in any future circumstances or proceedings.
When Johnson was requested what he considered a potential pardon for Maxwell, he reiterated that the choice is finally as much as Trump.
“Clearly that is a choice of the president,” Johnson stated, including, “that is not my lane.”