As Washington claws its way out of the longest shutdown in U.S. history, a political powder keg is about to detonate—the long-hidden Jeffrey Epstein files could soon spill into the open.
Author and Trump biographer Michael Wolff warned this week that the convicted sex trafficker’s shadow still hangs heavily over the government—and that Congress is closer than ever to forcing the release of the explosive documents.
“This is going to be the next battle,” Wolff said on his podcast Inside Trump’s Head. “The question now isn’t whether Epstein’s files exist—it’s who controls what gets out.”
A bipartisan discharge petition spearheaded by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is just one signature away from the 218 needed to force a full public release of federal Epstein investigation materials.
That last signature is expected to come from Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona whose swearing-in was delayed for nearly two months due to the shutdown. Her induction, set for Wednesday, could trigger what one Hill staffer described as “the most politically radioactive document dump in modern history.”
“The votes are there,” said a Democratic aide familiar with the measure. “What happens next depends on how much the executive branch is willing to let Congress pry open.”
The House push comes after a similar Senate effort collapsed in September—reportedly under heavy lobbying from both political donors and national security officials citing “classified concerns.”
According to Wolff, the Epstein files aren’t confined to a single agency. “They’re everywhere—DOJ, FBI, IRS, SEC. Fragments of investigations into his business empire, his private flights, his network of associates,” he said.
That complexity, Wolff argued, gives the executive branch—led by President Trump, a longtime acquaintance of Epstein—extraordinary power over what the public ultimately sees.
“Even with Congress voting to release, the executive controls what’s defined as relevant and what’s redacted,” Wolff said. “So this White House still holds the pen.”
In a separate revelation, House Democrats obtained documents showing that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former partner now serving a 20-year sentence, is preparing to formally ask President Trump to commute her sentence.
The British socialite, 63, was convicted in 2022 of sex trafficking and conspiracy to recruit underage girls for Epstein. She’s currently held in a low-security Florida facility after what Wolff described as a “quiet deal” with the Justice Department.
“She’s the one person who could fill in all the blanks—and she’s been silenced,” Wolff said. “They’ll call it justice served. But it’s really a cover-up served cold.”
Trump, when asked last month if he’d consider clemency for Maxwell, kept the option open. “I’d have to take a look at it,” he told reporters.
When reached for comment, Trump communications director Steven Cheung launched a familiar barrage against Wolff, calling him “a lying sack of s—” and accusing him of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Wolff brushed off the insult during a follow-up interview on MSNBC, saying, “The louder they scream, the closer we are to the truth.”
If the petition succeeds, the Justice Department will have 30 days to produce and release the Epstein files—redactions and all. Lawmakers from both parties are already preparing subpoenas to ensure compliance.
“This could make Watergate look like a parking ticket,” said one former federal prosecutor who previously worked on financial crimes linked to Epstein’s associates.
For now, the world waits to see whether the government will truly open the vault—or whether Epstein’s secrets will once again be buried under the weight of political power.
Source: The Daily Beast; CBS News; congressional records; interviews with Michael Wolff.
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