When lawmakers return to Washington this week, the first order of business won’t just be the usual battles over spending bills or party messaging. Instead, Congress is stepping directly into one of the most unsettling scandals of the last generation: the case of Jeffrey Epstein, his network of abuse, and the government’s role in what has — for years — looked like a story of half-truths and unanswered questions.
On Wednesday, Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Thomas Massie of Kentucky will hold a press conference on the steps of the Capitol alongside ten Epstein survivors. Some of these women have never spoken publicly before. They are expected to share their stories and to press the Justice Department to release its long-hidden trove of files on Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Khanna has already previewed the moment as “explosive,” noting that he and Massie are filing a discharge petition meant to force Attorney General Pam Bondi to comply with Congress’s demands for disclosure. That petition is scheduled to go live Tuesday.
The push comes amid fresh scrutiny of how Epstein and Maxwell were treated by federal authorities. Maxwell, convicted of sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years, was recently transferred to a lower-security facility. Families of survivors, including Virginia Giuffre’s, have called the move disturbing — a sign that power and proximity to influence still shape how justice is applied. “Why would she be given any cover by this Justice Department?” Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, asked in a television interview.
In the coming weeks, Congress is set to hear from two of the most senior officials in Trump’s Justice Department: FBI Director Kash Patel on September 17, and Attorney General Bondi on October 9. Lawmakers say they intend to press them on why Epstein was allowed to operate for decades, who shielded him, and why his circle of influence has never been fully revealed.
Balint did not mince words about the stakes, saying, “Americans are watching this, and they want to know why the victims are always left in the shadows while the powerful walk away.”
For Khanna and Massie, an unlikely bipartisan pair, the push for disclosure is about institutional credibility. If the Justice Department refuses to hand over its files, they argue, then the public will remain stuck in a cycle of rumor and distrust. With victims prepared to stand on the Capitol steps this week, Congress will have to decide whether to keep those shadows intact — or finally let in the light.
