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6h ago

Johnson Delays House Vote on Epstein Files as DOJ Plans Maxwell Interview

A planned Maxwell interview along with looming grand jury deadlines sharpen pressure on House leaders who have blocked votes before recess.

NEW YORK CITY, NY - MARCH 15: Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell attend de Grisogono Sponsors The 2005 Wall Street Concert Series Benefitting Wall Street Rising, with a Performance by Rod Stewart at Cipriani Wall Street on March 15, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
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Blanche said he anticipates a meeting with Maxwell to take place “in the coming days.”
Donald Trump, his then-girlfriend Melania Knauss, Jeffrey Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000.

Overview

  • Speaker Mike Johnson refused to allow any floor votes on Epstein-related measures before the August recess despite mounting GOP support for transparency.
  • Rep. Thomas Massie’s bipartisan discharge petition, backed by ten Republicans and all Democrats, has secured enough signatures to force a post-recess vote on releasing unclassified Epstein materials within 30 days.
  • Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced he will meet with imprisoned Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to gather testimony under President Trump’s directive to uncover all credible evidence.
  • Two federal judges in New York set July 29 for the Justice Department to justify its request to unseal grand jury records and August 5 for all parties to submit their positions.
  • The dispute over unsealing Epstein files has stalled other House business and exposed deep divisions within the Republican conference ahead of the 2026 midterms.