A special election in Arizona next Tuesday is shaping up to deliver the final vote needed to advance a discharge petition that would force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The move is being pushed by Democrats along with a few breakaway Republicans, putting House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in a tough position with Donald Trump and his allies.
In a last-ditch effort to prevent this from happening, Johnson sent the House home for summer recess earlier than planned. However, that strategy appears to have backfired, giving supporters of the petition time to secure the final vote required.
According to a report from Politico, newcomer Adelita Grijalva is expected to win the seat once held by her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D). The district is strongly Democratic, with Trump having lost it by 22 points in the last election.
Grijalva has already indicated she plans to align with Democrats and a handful of Republican allies, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Nancy Mace (SC), and Lauren Boebert (CO). Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill reports that Johnson now seems to recognize the battle may be lost.
The report explains that Johnson has tried to quietly shut down the push to release the Epstein documents in recent months, acting in line with Trump, who has dismissed the effort as a “Democrat hoax.” Now, Johnson faces a critical decision: intervene and try to stop the process or allow it to move forward to a full House vote.
If the petition succeeds, it would trigger a vote requiring the release of all Justice Department records tied to Epstein, with some redactions to protect the identities of victims.
Johnson could still attempt to block the petition through the House Rules Committee. However, past efforts to do so have not gone in his favor, and another failure there could be politically damaging.
Behind the scenes, Johnson has reportedly told colleagues he won’t pressure the Rules Committee to shut down the petition. According to Politico, Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) acknowledged the reality of the situation.
“I don’t think there’s too many options. I think you have to take it up, right?” Moore admitted.
(This article is based on reporting by Politico.)
