Republican Rep. Tim Burchett is warning the public not to hold their breath waiting for the Jeffrey Epstein files, because secrets get buried in Washington, DC.
Burchett discussed the situation during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.
“We’re at the point they’re going to start dumping files,” the congressman said. “And my biggest fear in this, Jake, you got a thousand children that were abused by this dirtbag who’s burning in hell right now, and he should be. And yet the American public’s all pointing the finger, trying to play politics with this thing. And it’s not accurate.”
Jake Tapper responded, “As of right now, there are ten Republicans, including yourself, who’ve signed Congressman Massie’s what’s called a discharge petition. It forces legislation onto the floor of the House for a vote. It requires 218 signatures.”
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie originally introduced the legislation to release files related to the deceased convicted sex offender alongside Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna. So far, 16 members of Congress have co-sponsored the bill.
79% of Americans support releasing the Epstein files, but only 16 members of Congress have sponsored the legislation to do so.
After 7 legislative days, I’ll be able to collect signatures to force a vote on my bill to release all the files. Cosponsors: https://t.co/Y9hj5s4PiZ pic.twitter.com/p74pD96x26
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 20, 2025
Tapper noted that the legislation is likely to get support from Democrats, but that it may be an up hill battle with Republicans, despite it having massive support among the MAGA base.
“Presumably, a lot of Democrats are going to support it,” Tapper continued. “A lot of Republican leaders seem to want this issue to go away. Do you think you’re going to get 218 signatures on the discharge petition to force it for a vote? How many Republicans do you think will join you?”
Burchett replied, “I have no earthly idea, Jake. You know, this town buries secrets. You wrote a book about it, and it’s doing very well because America agrees with you. This town buries secrets.”
“You know, this town does not give up its secrets easily, and it’s just fighting and kicking,” Burchett continued. “And the reason I’m worried about these files now is the fact that the Biden administration, which, in my opinion, has a history of corruption, has tampered with these files, and we’re never going to get to the bottom of it.”
WATCH:
NEW: Rep. Tim Burchett accuses the Biden administration of tampering with Epstein files. He claims, “this town buries secrets,” suggesting manipulation without hard proof. Burchett praises President Trump’s push for transparency, citing his strategic wins like the cryptocurrency… pic.twitter.com/ff6kHS5nBM
— Luca Taner (@LucaTaner) July 20, 2025
