Rep. Thomas Massie is plowing ahead with his plan to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The Kentucky Republican said Tuesday he plans to file a discharge petition to release the Epstein Transparency Act that he co-sponsored with Rep. Ro Khanna, California Democrat.

“At that point, we can begin collecting the 218 signatures necessary to force a vote on binding legislation to release the Epstein files,” Mr. Massie posted Tuesday on X.

The bill would require Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice relating to Epstein, the sex trafficker who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.

Mr. Massie and Mr. Khanna are planning on keep pressure on lawmakers by holding a news conference on Wednesday on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with Epstein victims, including people who have never before shared their stories.

“They are going to come to the Capitol and they are going to demand the release of the Epstein files,” Mr. Khanna said at a recent event. “The people who committed these horrific crimes need to be held accountable, and the Democratic Party needs to be the party that fights for transparency, that fights to say rich and powerful people should have the same rules as you or I have in this country.”

The Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files has been heavily criticized by some of President Trump’s biggest supporters and conspiracy theorists who say Epstein maintained a high-profile client list that has never been made public.

Mr. Trump, who once shared conspiracy theories about Epstein, has now decried the focus on the late sex trafficker as a “hoax.”

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.