GOP Blocks Ro Khanna’s Epstein Amendment As Dems Take On Old Trump Conspiracy Crusade
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) ramped up pressure on Congress and the Department of Justice to release the full trove of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein even as House Republicans on July 15 blocked the attempt to force transparency.
Khanna’s amendment, which would have required Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish all Epstein-related documents within 30 days, was defeated in a 5–7 vote by the House Rules Committee.
Democrats see the rejection as telling, and plan to use it as a political cudgel—especially as Donald Trump faces mounting blowback from his own supporters over the DOJ’s refusal to release the Epstein files. Many in the MAGA base, including high-ranking Trump officials, previously pushed conspiracy theories about Epstein’s ties to global elites, and some are now accusing the Trump administration of stonewalling.
“The question with Epstein is: Whose side are you on?” Khanna told Axios ahead of the vote. “Are you on the side of the rich and powerful, or are you on the side of the people?” He vowed to reintroduce the measure “again and again and again.”
Despite the Republican-led committee’s rejection, one GOP member, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), broke ranks and voted with Democrats. “The public’s been asking for it. I think there are files. All of a sudden not to have files is a little strange,” he said. “I think the president will do the right thing.”
Khanna later tweeted: “Republicans blocked my amendment tonight. But @RepRalphNorman voted with us. We won’t stop until the files are released. This may have been our first attempt, but the public will not be gaslit.”
The political irony is thick. Trump, long known for fueling Epstein-related conspiracies and promising to expose elites, now finds himself on the defensive. In the lead-up to the 2024 election, he said he’d have “no problem” releasing the files. Yet his administration has backed away, with Bondi now declining to commit to action. In February, she admitted the so-called Epstein client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.”
Top Trump officials such as Vice President J.D. Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino previously accused the government of hiding Epstein’s ties. Now, those same figures face scrutiny for failing to deliver the transparency they once demanded.
Shri Thanedar (D-MI) added his voice to the effort, urging a complete and public investigation: “We need accountability and answers. Join me in demanding a full and transparent investigation into the Epstein case.”
For Democrats, the failed vote was expected—but also useful. As Trump’s base grows increasingly frustrated with the lack of action, Khanna and Thanedar are keeping the spotlight on the GOP’s apparent retreat from its conspiracy theories.
