Scoop: Mike Johnson to back Epstein files discharge petition
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Speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol on Nov. 12. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is reversing course and throwing his support behind a petition to compel the Justice Department to release all its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The move is a remarkable pivot for Johnson, who had urged Republicans to reject the effort. President Trump's last-minute public endorsement made resistance untenable.
- Johnson announced his support during a GOP conference meeting Tuesday morning, a source in the room told Axios, although the speaker is still urging the Senate to make changes to the measure to address concerns he has raised.
- The vote to compel the release of the Epstein files is expected to receive unanimous Republican backing, according to multiple GOP members.
- A "no" vote would put Johnson at odds with both his conference and the White House.
The big picture: Johnson's shift underscores Trump's enduring grip on the GOP: Within 48 hours of the president's reversal, the speaker fell in line on a vote he had fought to avoid.
- Trump on Sunday reversed months of calls to block an Epstein vote, saying Republicans should vote for it. By Monday, he said he'd sign the bill.
- Dozens of House Republicans had already planned to support the petition, but Trump's blessing made it an easier choice.
Between the lines: Despite his support, Johnson called the bill "dangerously flawed" during a press conference Tuesday, raising concerns that it does not adequately protect Epstein's victims as well as whistleblowers — and that it could reveal confidential methods and sources.
- However, the bill directs the DOJ to redact victim identifying details, as well as information that could jeopardize an active federal investigation or reveal classified information, along with any child sexual abuse materials.
Johnson told reporters he spoke with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and is confident that the Senate will make the changes.
- "Our frustration is there is no way for us in the House to amend it or correct these problems, because the authors of the discharge will not," Johnson said Tuesday, adding that the bill authors told him to "jump in the Potomac" when he asked for changes.
- If the Senate amends the bill, it would have to come back to the House for a vote, prolonging an Epstein debate many Republicans are eager to move past.
The intrigue: Johnson said he has been working with a "small army of lawyers" who agree the discharge petition was drafted in a "haphazard" a manner. The speaker said he intends to release a legal document soon outlining his concerns.
- Johnson said that the authors of the discharge petition cited the wrong section of US code when defining Child Sexual Abuse Material and DOJ would be forced to release child pornography under the current proposal.
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) called Johnson's concerns "a red herring" and said it could be another "delay tactic" during a separate press conference Tuesday morning.
Zoom in: Johnson has spent months opposing the discharge petition, using his control of the legislative calendar and behind-the-scenes pressure to keep it off the floor.
- He cut the week short before the August recess after Democrats forced multiple votes on releasing the files.
- He then kept the House out of session for nearly two months — a move that, intentionally or not, delayed the discharge petition from reaching the floor.
- He's argued the petition is "moot," claiming that the House Oversight Committee's investigation into Epstein would yield more information.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
