The Epstein Files: Sunlight or Cover-Up

The Epstein Files Transparency Act: Will Congress Force the DOJ’s Hand?

By Dr. John Petrone

A Bipartisan Crack in the Wall of Secrecy

For decades, Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes were not just ignored, they were actively buried by some of the most powerful people in the United States and abroad. He was a convicted predator with global connections, yet he moved freely among politicians, billionaires, and royalty. Investigations stalled, prosecutors backed off, sweetheart plea deals were signed, and his victims were pushed into silence.

Now, for the first time, Congress has introduced a bipartisan bill that could end the cover-up once and for all. The Epstein Files Transparency Act, introduced by Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), demands that the Department of Justice release everything in its possession relating to Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their network.

This is no ordinary political stunt. The bill goes further than anything we have seen before. It forces the release of flight logs, immunity deals, DOJ memos, autopsy reports, and even communications about destroyed or “misplaced” evidence. And it forbids withholding documents simply because they would embarrass or politically damage officials. That alone is unprecedented.

For the first time, sunlight could actually hit the darkest corners of this scandal.

What the Bill Forces Into the Open

The scope of H.R. 4405 is sweeping. It orders the Attorney General, within 30 days of enactment, to make public in a searchable, downloadable format every unclassified document, record, email, memo, and investigative file related to Epstein. That includes the FBI, the DOJ, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices.

Here is what the public would finally see:

• Flight logs and travel records: Every manifest, itinerary, pilot record, and customs declaration from every plane, helicopter, yacht, or vehicle linked to Epstein or his shell companies.

• Names of government officials and public figures: The bill explicitly bans withholding or redacting names to protect reputations. This means elected officials, judges, cabinet members, even foreign dignitaries who appear in Epstein’s records must be exposed.

• All DOJ and FBI internal communications: Memos, emails, meeting notes — every decision about whether to prosecute Epstein or let him walk. This could reveal who signed off on his infamous 2008 non-prosecution agreement in Florida, which let him serve only a slap-on-the-wrist sentence despite mountains of evidence.

• Records of immunity deals, plea bargains, and sealed settlements: For years, Epstein’s network relied on backroom legal arrangements to shield him and his associates. This bill would expose those agreements in full.

• Epstein’s detention and death records: Every incident report, medical examiner’s file, autopsy report, and witness interview from the night Epstein died in federal custody. These files would shed light on what millions of Americans already suspect — that his death was far more than just “suicide.”

• Evidence of destruction or tampering: Any directive, log, or email about missing video footage, deleted communications, or destroyed documents must be released. This strikes directly at the heart of the cover-up.

Perhaps the most important line in the bill: documents cannot be withheld due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.” For the first time, the shield protecting the powerful is explicitly banned.

Why Both Parties Are Nervous

That this bill even exists is a sign of how much public pressure has mounted. For years, both Republicans and Democrats had no appetite for confronting the Epstein question. Too many of their own allies and donors were rumored to have connections. Too many careers would be destroyed by exposure.

Now, Khanna and Massie have cracked the dam. But don’t mistake bipartisan introduction for bipartisan commitment. Powerful figures in both parties will do everything they can to water this down. They will invoke “national security” to block embarrassing revelations. They will claim “ongoing investigations” as a reason to withhold. They will appeal to “victim privacy” and then use it as a shield to redact names of the guilty.

We have seen this before. The JFK assassination files were delayed for decades under the excuse of “protecting intelligence sources.” The 9/11 Commission’s missing 28 pages were hidden under “national security.” The Epstein Files Transparency Act is designed to stop those excuses in their tracks — but only if the public demands it.

Survivors and Lawmakers Demand Sunlight

Wednesday morning, survivors of Epstein’s abuse stood alongside Representatives Khanna and Massie at a bipartisan press conference on Capitol Hill. Their message was unmistakable: the Department of Justice must release the files, and Congress must have the courage to make it law.

The presence of survivors changes everything. This is not just about politics, it is about justice long denied. These women demanded accountability in public, directly in front of cameras, refusing to let this bill be brushed aside as another partisan skirmish.

For lawmakers, standing shoulder to shoulder with survivors raises the stakes. It forces members of Congress to answer a simple question: will you vote to bring truth and justice into the light, or will you side with secrecy and predators?

The pressure is building, and it is now far harder for leadership to bury this bill quietly.

A Pattern of Secrecy

Secrecy in America follows a pattern. Whenever truth threatens the powerful, the files vanish.

• JFK Files: Sixty years later, thousands of documents are still classified. Presidents from both parties promised release, then backed down.

• Church Committee: The CIA’s darkest abuses, from assassinations to illegal surveillance, only came out because senators forced exposure after years of denial.

• 9/11 Commission: The infamous 28 pages detailing Saudi connections were kept classified for over a decade, long enough for the world to move on.

The Epstein case is now part of that lineage. If this bill passes and is enforced, it could be the first time that bipartisan secrecy is truly broken. If it fails, the cover-up only deepens.

How We Fight Back

The bill’s language is strong, but without public demand it will be gutted before it ever becomes law. Here’s how we make sure that doesn’t happen:

• Call your Representatives and Senators: Demand they cosponsor H.R. 4405 and publicly state their support. Silence equals complicity.

• Reject weak excuses: The bill allows redactions only for active investigations, victim privacy, classified defense matters, or CSAM. Anything else is a cover-up. Make that clear to your elected officials.

• Monitor the Federal Register: Every redaction must be justified there. Citizens can and should scrutinize those justifications and call out lies.

• Spread the truth: Share information widely, because corporate media has every incentive to bury this story under celebrity gossip and distractions.

• Insist on accountability: Remind every elected official that their oath requires transparency. If they oppose this bill, they are siding with secrecy, predators, and corruption.

This fight is not about partisan loyalty. It is about whether citizens rule, or whether power protects itself forever.

The Moment of Truth

This is the tipping point. If the Epstein files are released, names will be exposed, deals will be revealed, and the public will finally see how deep the rot goes. If they are buried again, then we know the cover-up runs to the very top, and the swamp is darker than we ever imagined.

Either way, the truth is closer than it has ever been. The mask is slipping, and once it comes off, it never goes back on.

P.S. Release the Epstein Files!