Survivors Can Sue DOJ Over Hidden Files
Thomas Massie predicts 218 signatures for a House vote on a bill letting Epstein survivors challenge alleged withholding of Justice Department records.
A congressional effort to strengthen access to Jeffrey Epstein-related records could reach a crucial procedural stage next week, with Republican Representative Thomas Massie predicting that a discharge petition will secure the 218 signatures needed to bring the issue before the House.
In a post on 5 November, Massie said he expected to reach the threshold when lawmakers return to Washington. He described the proposed legislation as a way for survivors to obtain records concerning their cases and challenge the withholding of material by the Justice Department.
The proposal, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, is intended to address a central weakness in the existing disclosure framework: what legal options are available when the government is accused of failing to release information it is required to provide.
The Legal Remedies the Bill Would Give Survivors
H.R. 9694 was introduced on 15 July 2026 by Massie, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, and Democratic Representative Teresa Leger Fernández. Rather than simply demanding another release of documents, the bill proposes mechanisms to challenge alleged failures to comply with transparency requirements.