Lawmakers are close to forcing a House vote to compel the Justice Department to release all federal records on Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell after Democrat Adelita Grijalva won a special election in Arizona, giving supporters of the discharge petition the critical 218th signature needed.

The petition, led by GOP Rep. Thomas Massie and endorsed by every Democrat plus three Republicans, would require DOJ to make its Epstein-related files publicly searchable, bypassing Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump allies who oppose the measure.

Grijalva, replacing her late father, has pledged to sign the petition immediately upon being sworn in, potentially setting up a floor vote around Oct. 20.

Johnson and GOP leaders favor an ongoing investigation led by Rep. James Comer, arguing it provides transparency without mandating public release, but petition supporters claim this process allows the DOJ and Trump to withhold information, The Hill has reported.

Massie has criticized the curation of documents, citing FBI secrecy over victim-identified names as evidence that wealthy and powerful individuals are being protected from scrutiny.