Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) found himself a very willing partner in Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) when it came to getting the Epstein files released.
Together, they were able to rally enough support to get a discharge petition passed.
Their latest effort to have a special master appointed to expedite the release of the files, however, has failed.
Massie had no problem getting his legislation passed after the discharge petition gathered enough signatures to force the vote.
The legislation passed 427-1, with Massie stating, “Today's overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives to release the Epstein files is a major victory not only for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, but for victims of sexual abuse throughout the country.”
He continued, "EFTA's passage brings Epstein's victims one step closer to receiving justice and Americans one step closer to receiving transparency."
While Trump had initially fought the effort to have all the files released, he did later state that he would not veto the legislation, and he was true to his word.
There is a term in poker called “slow rolling,” which is when you slowly turn over your cards and pretend you are losing when you actually have the winning hand.
Slow rolling is what Attorney General Pam Bondi is now doing with the Epstein files, although I would not call this a winning hand. The sooner this is over, the better for Trump.
That will not be anytime soon, however, as Bondi was already struggling to review the files before finding more than a million more, with the overall total now at nearly 5.2 million.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche explained, "We're asking as many lawyers as possible to commit their time to review the documents that remain. Required redactions to protect victims take time, but they will not stop these materials from being released."
As noted above, Massie and Khanna were hoping to have a special master to expedite the release of the files, but their efforts were just shot down by the court.
The judge ruled that the court does not have the authority to police the DOJ’s compliance with the matter.
Massie is not giving up the fight just yet, however, stating, “I ain’t out of the game yet… and I forced them to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Now if they beat me in May and the files don’t get released… I’ll concede it’s beyond repair.”
By May, would think most, if not all, the files would have been released. There is zero benefit to Trump or the DOJ to play the slow game here. As I noted before, the sooner these files are off the radar, the better for all involved on the GOP side of the aisle.
