By Dr. John Petrone
The House of Cards Is Shaking
For months, Speaker Mike Johnson and his Republican allies have done everything possible to keep the Epstein files locked away. But the walls are closing in. With Rep. Thomas Massie’s discharge petition now within striking distance — thanks to Adelita Grijalva’s special election win in Arizona — the Speaker’s carefully constructed wall of silence is cracking. Every Democrat has signed on. A handful of Republicans broke ranks. The math is unforgiving. And Johnson knows it.
Panic in the Ranks
Massie himself said it plainly: Republican leaders are in “full panic.” They tried arm-twisting, cajoling, and even political threats to get signatures withdrawn. It hasn’t worked. Too much sunlight has already broken through. This is an 80/20 issue with the American people — transparency versus cover-up. And Johnson is on the wrong side of history. He may try to pretend this is about “protecting victims” or “superfluous redundancy.” But the truth is simpler: his leadership is terrified of what will be exposed.
Why They Fear the Vote
Let’s be clear. This isn’t just about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. It’s about who looked the other way. Who flew on the planes. Who opened doors. Who covered tracks. Every name, every connection threatens to unravel the hypocrisy of a political class that preaches morality while swimming in corruption. And for a party that has wrapped itself in “family values” rhetoric, the exposure could be devastating. No wonder Johnson is rattled.
The Math of Transparency
Here’s the number that matters: 218. That’s the exact number of House signatures required on a discharge petition to force a floor vote. Every Democrat has already signed. With just a few Republicans breaking ranks, the tipping point is within reach. If that threshold is crossed, Johnson cannot block the vote. But even then, there’s another battle: passing the resolution in both chambers, overcoming Trump’s veto threat, and making sure the release is not watered down with redactions or buried in procedural games.
The Pattern of Obstruction
What we are witnessing fits a broader pattern. When the truth gets close, the machinery of power grinds into action to bury it. We saw it with Trump’s gag orders, with Project 2025 blueprints hidden in think-tank offices, with backroom deals to roll back democracy itself. And now, even if Congress acts, we must expect subterfuge at the Department of Justice — an agency already bent under Trump’s thumb, run by sycophants who will do anything to shield the powerful from accountability. The Epstein files are just the latest battlefield in the war over truth.
How We Fight Back
This fight is not just about transparency — it’s about breaking the stranglehold of secrecy that has allowed the powerful to operate without consequence. To win, we need to apply pressure at every point of vulnerability:
Expose the Enablers: Don’t just demand your representative’s stance — document it. Post their responses (or refusals) on social media, write letters to local newspapers, and tag them relentlessly. Force their silence into the open.
Leverage Local Power: City councils, county commissions, and state legislatures can pass resolutions demanding transparency. It may not carry legal force over Congress, but it builds undeniable political pressure. If local officials go on record, national leaders lose cover.
Target the Donor Class: Wealthy donors are the shadow power in Washington. Start campaigns aimed directly at the corporations and financiers backing obstructionist politicians. Make them answer for funding secrecy.
Crowdsource the Truth: Once files are released, citizen investigators, journalists, and researchers must work together to analyze every page. Create open databases, share findings, and refuse to let the mainstream press filter the narrative.
Control the Narrative: The GOP leadership will try to frame this as a “partisan witch hunt” or “conspiracy.” Counter them by staying laser-focused: this is not about politics, it’s about justice and accountability. Every time they muddy the waters, drag the conversation back to the facts.
Make It Electoral: Every single member who resists disclosure should have their opposition weaponized against them in the next election. Flyers, ads, debates, campaign events — hammer home that they stood against truth and transparency.
This is not just about one vote. It’s about establishing a precedent: when the public demands the truth, leaders cannot bury it. We win when silence becomes costlier than honesty.
The Reckoning Ahead
Johnson’s panic is the tell. Power doesn’t tremble unless truth is about to break free. If the 218 threshold is reached — and the odds are turning — the American people will finally see the raw, unfiltered truth of how deep this rot goes. But we must remain vigilant, because even after a vote, Trump’s DOJ loyalists will try to stall, redact, or sabotage the release. That’s why the fight cannot end with signatures. It must continue until every last page sees daylight.
I say “no, they won’t be released until Trump dies. Then they will.” That’s my vote and I’m sticking to it.
I heard though that Johnson is holding up the new representative’s oath taking!!! 😡