Congressman Thomas Massie in Kentucky has spent months pushing to bring the Epstein files into the public eye. He co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, pressed for a House vote through a discharge petition, and even went directly to the Department of Justice to review the unredacted documents himself.
This week, Massie vowed to escalate the effort. If the DOJ continues to stonewall, he says he will invoke the Constitution’s “speech or debate” immunity and read the sealed names aloud on the House floor.
After Massie and California Congressman Ro Khanna spent two hours reviewing the unredacted Epstein files at the Justice Department on February 9, tensions escalated. Massie said he identified at least six men whose names had been redacted, despite appearing to be “likely incriminated” in the documents. One individual, he noted, was described as being “pretty high up in a foreign government.”
Speaking with CNN, Massie said he is prepared to act, but only if the victims want him to. “I’m ready to do that if the victims want me to,” he told the network. In his view, the strongest path toward accountability is pressuring the DOJ to release the names. Massie also said he had already read one name aloud during a committee hearing while the FBI director was present: Jeffrey Staley.
Massie emphasized that he was not declaring Staley guilty. “He may or may not be guilty, but he’s been accused by these victims, the lawyer tells me,” he explained. He added that other names exist, though he does not currently have them. Still, Massie said he has told victims and their attorneys that if they provide him with the names, he is willing to read them on the House floor, where he would be protected by constitutional immunity.
Even so, Massie said his preferred outcome is for the DOJ to release the names itself through the 302 forms.
Citizens are Skeptical of Representative Massie’s Threat
The repeated claims quickly drew skepticism online, with many users questioning whether anything would actually happen this time.
“I’ve heard this one before and still no list, perhaps it’s time to stop threatening and start doing.”
“I feel like I’ve seen three posts a week for the last six months where he’s threatened to release names and then he backs off and then comes back and says it again and then says he’s not suicidal five times.”
“Plenty have said it, none have done it. I’ll believe it when it’s done and not a second before.”
The Epstein files continue to emerge in fragments, and each release seems to follow the same pattern: redactions obscure key details, answers remain out of reach, and powerful names stay hidden from public view. Now, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie is challenging the DOJ and demanding answers by a deadline. Whether he will ultimately stand on the House floor and follow through remains uncertain. But the survivors, who have already waited far too long, are watching closely.
