Who?
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) — lead Republican sponsor of Epstein file measure President Donald Trump signed into law*
*Massie and his Democratic partner, Ro Khanna, authored the “Epstein files“ discharge petition, which forced Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders to bring the Epstein measure to the House floor for a vote.
LISTEN: Laslo & Massie
The measure sailed through after overcoming a fierce lobbying effort by President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and others who fought the documents’ release, and who, according to Massie and Khanna, have now failed to abide by the law by refusing to release all the Epstein files Congress overwhelmingly mandated be released publicly.
Ask a Pol asks:
Any update on the Epstein files the Justice Department has refused to release?
Key Massie:
“No,” Massie exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics. “There’s a court angle now. I think there’s a path. We asked for a special master, and the judge says, ‘Alright, tell us what you’re thinking.’ And he asked the DOJ to tell them — to send something…”
Caught our ear:
Do you want to see a Contempt of Congress or is going through the courts better to get the outcome you want?
“This is quicker and has more precedent,” Massie tells us.
And you think they’ll listen to a judge a little more than Congress?
“I think so,” Massie says. “That’s just the world they live in — courtrooms.”
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Thomas Massie (1-15-2026)
SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo is showing the managing editor of one of his wire service clients around the Capitol during a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Rep. Thomas Massie leaves the House floor and starts peeking around the Speaker’s Lobby — a rare Members and Press Only area — so Laslo ditches his British guest in the hall to get this update on the Department of Justice slow-walking the release of the Epstein files, a rare successful legislative effort spearheaded by Massie and California Rep. Ro Khanna.
Matt Laslo: “Mr. Massie.”*
*Laslo covered Congress for Kentucky Public Radio for years, so the two know each other.
Rep. Thomas Massie: “Hey, how are you?”
Massie’s on the Democratic side of the Speaker’s Lobby looking for someone…
Laslo: “Any update on Epstein [files]?”
Massie: “On the..?”
Laslo: “Epstein and DOJ?”
Massie: “No.”
Massie stops looking around corners…
Massie: “We’re working with the — there’s a court angle now.”
Laslo: “Do you think — do you feel good about that or…?”
Massie: “I think there’s a path.”
Laslo: “Even with this DOJ?”
Massie: “Well — no, with the court…”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
Massie: “…with the judges. We asked for a special master, and the judge says, ‘Alright, tell us what you’re thinking.’ And he asked the DOJ to tell them — to send something.”
Laslo: “But in the end, if the judge rules in your guys’ favor, it would still be up to [Attorney General Pam] Bondi and the Trump administration to implement it. Do you think they would?”
Massie: “Well, then she’s in contempt of the judge.”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
Massie: “Which is a little more clear-cut than…”
Laslo: “…Contempt of Congress.”
Massie: “…Contempt of Congress.”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
Massie: “Yes.”
Laslo: “Interesting. Do you…?”
Massie: “Judges, hit people every day for being in contempt.”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
Massie: “We haven’t done it 85 years.”
Laslo: “Do you want to see a Contempt of Congress or this is better — to get the outcome you want?”
Massie: “This is quicker and has more precedent.”
Laslo: “And you think they’ll listen to a judge a little more than you all?”
Massie: “I think so.”
Laslo: “Yeah.”
Massie: “I mean they’ve all — that’s just the world they live in…”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
Massie: “…courtrooms.”
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Laslo: “Yeah. Interesting. We’ll see.”
Massie: “We’ll see. Yup.”
Massie turns away from Laslo’s mic as he starts looking around the Speaker’s Lobby again.
Massie: “I’m looking for Ro Khanna.”
Massie heads south and Laslo peeks around a north corner closer to the House floor.
Laslo: “There he is.”
Laslo politely rushes and catches up to Massie.
Laslo: “Mr. Massie — he’s over here.”
Massie: “Oh, is he?”
While Laslo escorts Massie to Khanna, a throng of congressional reporters crowd around the Kentucky Republican.
Laslo: “He’s sitting down…”
Massie chats briefly with Khanna before doing an impromptu press conference with a dozen or so journalists in the Speaker’s Lobby.
As the other reporters pepper Massie with questions, Laslo slides next to Khanna for an exclusive with the California Democrat on the Epstein files.
What should we ask Congress next?
AI Disclosure:
Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape.
