Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., defended his bipartisan Jeffrey Epstein files bill in an interview with Newsmax, pushing back against criticism and stressing that his bill ensures transparency while protecting victims.
Speaking Wednesday on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Massie said survivors of Epstein’s sex trafficking have rallied behind his legislation, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, precisely because it includes safeguards for them.
“The reason those survivors showed up at my press conference to support my bill is it does have protections for them,” Massie told host Rob Schmitt. “That’s one of the mistruths that’s been stated about my bill.”
Massie emphasized that his measure is not redundant with what House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is doing through committee investigations. While praising Comer’s leadership, Massie pointed out that the Department of Justice has heavily redacted documents already turned over to Congress.
“I showed him that all the flight logs that the DOJ has given him, that’s in that 34,000-document dump — all of them are redacted,” Massie said. “The DOJ is curating; they’re not just redacting, they’re choosing what to send the Oversight Committee.”
Massie said the Oversight probe is largely focused on whether the DOJ properly handled its investigation, but he doubts it will produce criminal referrals.
“I support what the Oversight Committee is doing. The more eyeballs we have on this, the better,” he said. “But what’s not true is that Comer’s effort and my effort are redundant.”
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, introduced by Massie alongside Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., would require the DOJ to release nearly all Epstein-related records within 30 days. Redactions would be limited strictly to identifiable victim information or material that could compromise active legal proceedings. The bill explicitly prohibits withholding information to spare embarrassment to wealthy or politically connected individuals.
That stands in contrast to the current approach, where DOJ officials have exercised wide discretion over what to redact and what to share with lawmakers. Survivors and transparency advocates argue this has shielded powerful Epstein associates from public scrutiny.
“My bill has exceptions for victims’ identifiable information, but it doesn’t allow [DOJ] to redact things that they think might be embarrassing to billionaire donors,” Massie said. “But that’s exactly what the DOJ is doing right now.”
Massie and Khanna are pushing a discharge petition — supported by several House Republicans — to bring the bill directly to the House floor, bypassing leadership opposition. Survivors of Epstein’s abuse joined them on Capitol Hill this week, urging lawmakers to pass the measure and provide long-promised answers to the American people.
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