Mike Johnson shuts US House until September to avoid Epstein vote

https://www.ft.com/content/6a42cc0c-82bf-4433-b74b-d67497e9977b

41 comments

  1. Mike Johnson must also be on the Epstein list. Innocent people have nothing to hide.

  2. You don’t shut down the country’s business of apparently nonexistent files. This response is sending the message that they exist and that they are devastating. And the request to shut down probably came from Trump himself.

    It’s more important than ever to get these files released.

  3. Partial timeline of how we got here:

    * February 16, 2017: [Alex Acosta nominated Secretary of Labor.](https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-nominates-r-alexander-acosta-secretary-labor/)

    * July 2, 2019: [Jeffrey Epstein indicted.](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649.2.0_7.pdf)

    * July 12, 2019: [Alex Acosta resigns.](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/12/us/politics/acosta-resigns-trump.html)

    * August 10, 2019: [Epstein dies by suicide.](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649/gov.uscourts.nysd.518649.46.0.pdf)

    * June 20, 2020: [Trump fires Geoffrey Berman from SDNY who indicted Epstein](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/nyregion/trump-geoffrey-berman-fired-sdny.html)

    * June 29, 2020: [Ghislaine Maxwell indicted.](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.1.0_11.pdf)

    * March 29, 2021: [Maxwell’s Superseding indictment.](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.187.0_8.pdf)

    * November 16, 2021: [Maxwell Jury selection begins.](https://www.npr.org/2021/11/16/1056239133/ghislaine-maxwell-jury-selection-sex-trafficking-trial-jeffrey-epstein)

    * December 29, 2021: [Maxwell convicted on 5 of 6 counts.](https://abcnews.go.com/US/jury-reaches-verdict-trial-jeffrey-epstein-associate-ghislaine/story?id=81863373)

    * February 28, 2023: [Maxwell appeals.](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca2.57831/gov.uscourts.ca2.57831.59.0.pdf)

    * September 17, 2024: [Second Circuit rejects appeal.](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca2.57831/gov.uscourts.ca2.57831.209675571.1.pdf)

    * January 15, 2025: [Maxwell delays SCOTUS appeal until Trump is inaugurated](https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1073/337362/20250117162420418_AMENDED%20Application%20to%20Extend%20Time%20to%20File%20Petition%20for%20Writ.pdf)

    * March 2025: [Pam Bondi conducts emergency review of Epstein and Maxwell documents.](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/epstein-case-review-fbis-new-york?srsltid=AfmBOopQ0COM1T4GRFlP5JRDPhe5peA1nbqFbcU4-7Xt9j_SxC1Hxm31)

    * April 10, 2025: [Maxwell files cert petition at SCOTUS](https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1073/355252/20250424150144637_24-__PetitionForWritOfCertiorari.pdf)

    * May 7, 2025: [Trump’s Solicitor General John Sauer delays SCOTUS response.](https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1073/358264/20250507134103306_Extension%20Letter%2024-1073.pdf)

    * June 6, 2025: [Trump’s Solicitor General John Sauer delays SCOTUS response again](https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1073/362490/20250606115543471_Extension%20Letter%2024-1073%202nd.pdf)

    * July 7, 2025: [Pam Bondi claims there’s no there there.](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25992102-250707-epstein/)

    * July 8, 2025: [Trump loses it over questions about Epstein.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8alNknwseE)

    * July 12, 2025: [Trump attempts to claim Epstein is a Democratic plot.](https://trumpstruth.org/statuses/31984)

    * July 14, 2025: [DOJ defends Maxwell prosecution at SCOTUS](https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1073/365132/20250714161434468_24-1073_Maxwell_Opp.pdf)

    * July 15, 2025: [WSJ interviews Trump about Epstein Birthday Book](https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAhNIdku5kUE4GB82yaPNv5KmItRfR3sDDrLC3aZZcVVr1SmRK9Ngdf23wExJGg%3D&gaa_ts=687fb1b7&gaa_sig=pk8wfcIrDpboI54DbqD8xfD64pX9iHbSR9x4wbD2SiTIcJ9XDtu8sb7TcYtCyNynPLgZwKmltxckVOBIvpbVbQ%3D%3D)

    * July 16, 2025: [Pam Bondi fires Maurene Comey (Maxwell’s prosecutor), on Trump’s personal authority.](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-doj-fires-federal-prosecutor-maurene-comey-daughter-ex-fbi-head-james-comey-2025-07-17/)

    * July 17, 2025: [Trump yells at supporters who won’t move on from Epstein.](https://trumpstruth.org/statuses/32054)

    * July 18, 2025: [Trumps defense lawyer Todd Blanche files to unseal Maxwells grand jury materials](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-suggests-smoking-gun-jeffrey-epstein-files/story?id=123860043)

    * July 22, 2025: [Mike Johnson shuts US House until September to avoid Epstein vote](https://www.ft.com/content/6a42cc0c-82bf-4433-b74b-d67497e9977b)

  4. So let them get to Maxwell first and then see how things are

  8. Turns out, the ones screaming loudest about Epstein were all doing it in bad faith. Hmmm I wonder why MAGA was so loud about pedophilia but now they’re silent? At best they’re bringing up a president from a different generation to deflect attention or blame away from the current president who has been exposed as a pedphile. Why all the silence and obstruction now that their team runs every branch of government?

    I wonder

  10. Covering for a child rapist is a thing. Not a very Christian thing or a family values thing or an accountability thing or any kind of moral thing, but it’s a fascist GOP thing.

  11. The good news is that Johnson and the GOP leadership know that the don’t have the votes to keep this quiet

    They’re panicking – it’s almost as if they’ve got something to hide. What confuses me the most is how this could be this much of a surprise to Trump. He’s been crying about the Epstein files for so long – is he really confused about their contents now?

  12. Who knew Mike Johnson was a creepy enabler?

    Everyone?

  14. This is evidence (at least to me) they are going to destroy every shred of evidence in those files linking Trump to Epstein’s child sex-trafficking operation and pedophilia parties.

  15. Coward. Release the files now, you pedo-protecting piece of shit.

  16. Progressives should be riling people that the Republican government is not working. It’s actively not functioning for the people and is failing.

  17. Now they can go to their home states and be lambasted by their constituents every day until September for hiding the Epstein files they promised to release.

  18. Let’s not forget that the Republicans are doing this to cover up the fact that Trump raped children.

  19. Republicans that agree with this either ARE pedophiles or defenders of pedophiles. Never forget it.

  21. When its something they want all of a sudden Republicans are having 2AM votes, if its not something they want, no one is allowed to do their job. WTF.

  22. Ok guys big request here, do you think we can all remember something until September. I know we all have the attention spans of fleas but maybe we can write it on a post it note or set a reminder on our phones.

  23. This behavior acts like they don’t care about midterms.

    If they actually stole the election we’re in serious danger.

    Is the USA currently being held hostage by a child sex trafficking pedophile cabal?

  24. This is the guy and his son that check each other’s porn history, right?

  26. My natural skepticism that there’s literally anything of particular note in the Epstein stuff is really going to war with a Republican party that is not only clearly covering something up, but doing so in the mad dash panic of someone trying to flush cocaine down the toilet before the cops break down the door.

  27. I’m sorry are we skipping a week of July and the entire month of August just because they’re hoping the Epstein stuff dies down??

  28. Wait, the Speaker can just close the House? Don’t they have jobs to do for the American people?

  29. One of the greatest political scandals in all of United States history: “Yaaaaaawn time for a summer break”. “Oh and don’t forget to pay your taxes so we can get our $175,000 a year salary and free health care to protect child molestors”.

  30. You’ve got to wonder if the reason they keep delaying and distracting the release is because they need more time to remove his name from all the documents. Surprised conspiracy theorists aren’t all over that..

  31. If someone could shut down my office for two months in the middle of the summer to avoid discussing something critical relevancy and I’d still get paid full salary and healthcare that would be fantastic. Anyone?

    Please?

  32. Hound them at home!! Why are they protecting Pedophiles!

  33. Cowards who are pedophiles protecting fellow pedophiles.

    Trump fucked children and stole the election.

  35. This is the first time in over a decade where a high profile, high priority, morally correct issue for the Republican base, that requires actual tangible results, has been utterly rejected by the party they voted for.

    For most of the other issues they can simply pretend it’s been resolved by interpreting the exact same state of it positively now that a Republican is president, like being “safe” or “healthy” or “respected” again. But this was something that needed an act from the administration and/or congressional approval. Both branches refusing to do it, after hyping it up for years, was the most direct betrayal of pretty much their entire voter base. They simply didn’t have to care anymore now that they were in power, for all issues, but it was made most obvious with this.

  36. Shut it down. The U.S. is closed until we rid ourselves of these pathetic pedos.

  37. In a brilliant political move to prevent a vote on the Epstein files, Speaker Johnson closes the house until September and sends members back to their districts to face backlash over what they’ve already done.

  41. They will find a reason to shut down the government over this when they get back

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