A news conference featuring victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could be “explosive,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, predicted, as he and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, push for the full release of Justice Department files related to Epstein.
“There will be 10 Epstein victims, many who have never spoken out before,” Khanna said. “They’re going to be on the steps of the Capitol. They will be telling their story, and they will be saying clearly to the American public that they want the release of the Epstein files for full closure on this matter.”
Bipartisan push for Justice Department files
Khanna and Massie are co-leading an effort to force a vote on a bill that would require the Justice Department to release its files on Epstein. To secure the vote, they need 218 signatures from members of Congress.
Khanna told NBC News, “We have all 212 Democrats committed to signing it. He [Massie] has 12 Republicans. Only six of them have to sign it.”
Press conference scheduled for September 3
The news conference is planned to take place on the steps of the US Capitol on September 3. Khanna described the event as a rare opportunity for victims who have remained silent until now to make their voices heard.
“What will be explosive is the September 3rd press conference that both of us are having with 10 Epstein victims, many who have never spoken out before,” Khanna said.
Epstein controversy continues to roil politics
The Epstein case has also created tensions within the Republican Party. President Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters have clashed with elements of the party over efforts to close the book on Epstein, raising expectations of new revelations.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee is subpoenaing Epstein’s estate to investigate possible mismanagement of federal investigations into the financier and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York federal prison in 2019 while awaiting federal charges related to sex trafficking, sparking outrage and ongoing speculation about others involved in the sex ring he allegedly operated.
