Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) released the following statement after voting on legislation – H.R. 4405 – to require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish documents related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. The bill advanced despite months of opposition from the Trump administration who went to extreme lengths to try and quell efforts to release the files. 

“Donald Trump and his allies have pulled every trick in the book to protect child predators and sex traffickers and have bullied any Republican who sought to work with Democrats to release the Epstein files. Trump is mentioned over 1,500 times, and we have to wonder what else he is hiding. He has caved publicly at the eleventh hour only after it became clear that enough Republicans were going to support its passage — but he continues to pursue a White House cover up behind the scenes. 

“Even though Trump could release these files TODAY if he chose to, Congress is forcing his hand and voted overwhelmingly for the release of ALL of the Epstein files. We won’t stop fighting until this passes the Senate and becomes law. No more secrets. We must bring justice for the survivors, accountability for every single perpetrator, and the truth for the American people.”

Pettersen signed a discharge petition to advance the legislation after Republican leadership refused to move the bipartisan bill. This procedural tool allows Members to force a vote on legislation by collecting 218 signatures – a majority of the House of Representatives – and bypass leadership.