Politics
Representative Thomas Massie labels Leon Black and David Copperfield as Epstein co-conspirators
The outgoing lawmaker demanded a federal investigation and launched a discharge petition to force a vote on unreleased Epstein records.
The short version
- Representative Thomas Massie publicly accused Leon Black and David Copperfield of being co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein, urging the Department of Justice to investigate them.
- Massie partnered with bipartisan lawmakers to launch a discharge petition aimed at passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act II to compel the release of millions of withheld documents.
- Billionaire Leon Black is separately facing potential contempt of Congress proceedings over subpoenas and an unconfirmed House Oversight Committee hearing appearance.
- Whether the discharge petition will reach the required 218 signatures or lead to DOJ action remains uncertain.
Key facts
- Representative Thomas Massie named Leon Black and illusionist David Copperfield as Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators on the House floor and on social media, demanding a Department of Justice investigation.[The Guardian]
- Massie, alongside Representatives Ro Khanna and Teresa Leger Fernández, initiated a discharge petition to gather 218 signatures to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II.[The Guardian]
- Massie stated that the federal government is still withholding more than three million files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.[The Guardian]
- House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer threatened to hold Leon Black in contempt of Congress if he fails to provide subpoenaed documents and comply with committee demands.[The Guardian]
- Black's attorney, Susan Estrich, has rejected allegations of non-cooperation and characterized the congressional inquiry as a political witch hunt.[The Guardian]
- Attorneys for David Copperfield have previously denied that the illusionist was friends with Epstein, while 2007 FBI records released earlier this year noted a connection between the two men.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unconfirmed whether Leon Black or Alan Dershowitz will appear for their scheduled House Oversight Committee hearings.[The Guardian]
- It is unknown whether the discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II will secure the 218 required signatures to force a House floor vote.[The Guardian]