Subject DOJ and FBI officials to existing federal criminal penalties for knowingly concealing, destroying, falsifying, withholding, or misrepresenting Epstein-related files.

Thomas Massie · Kentucky · Republican

oversight impact 0.70 specificity 0.86 extraction confidence 86%

Commitment kind: unknown. Promised action: not established. Promised outcome: not established. Deadline: unknown; not assumed expired.

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Occurrences

Enforces compliance with the existing law by subjecting DOJ and FBI officials to existing federal criminal penalties for knowingly concealing, destroying, falsifying, withholding, or misrepresenting files.

Massie's legislation would enforce Epstein files disclosure requirements by applying existing criminal penalties to DOJ and FBI officials who mishandle or withhold files.

Massie, Khanna, Leger Fernández, Merkley, Luján Introduce the "Epstein Files Transparency Act II" | U.S. Representative Thomas Massie
primary · press_release · model gpt-5.5

Evidence

legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown

GovInfo bill text shows Rep. Thomas Massie introduced H.R. 9694 on July 15, 2026 and it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The bill's penalties section would fine or imprison DOJ, FBI, U.S. Attorney, Attorney General, and FBI Director personnel under 18 U.S.C. 1001, 1505, 1519, and 2071 for concealing, removing, destroying, falsifying, withholding, misrepresenting, or making materially false statements about covered Epstein records, if the required mens rea is met.

Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The commitment is embodied in Massie's introduced bill, but the official record shows only introduction and committee referral, not enactment. This is serious concrete action but not delivery of the promised penalties.

unresolved same_term A for effort

H.R. 9694 (IH) - Epstein Files Transparency Act II
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 91%

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legacy_unverified · Source version not recorded · locator unknown

The August 31, 2026 report says Massie launched a second discharge petition to force the Justice Department to release remaining Epstein files, and that the petition was designed to give state attorneys general, victims, and members of Congress standing to challenge DOJ over aspects of the original law it had not followed.

Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Within the lookback window, Massie was still trying to force House action through a discharge petition. That supports continued effort but also indicates the enforcement/penalty proposal remained unresolved rather than delivered.

unresolved same_term A for effort

Massie attempts second discharge petition to compel release of missing Epstein Files
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 78%

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Assessments

Public state: unverified As of unknown · legacy_unverified · . Original AI recommendation (not independently established): unresolved. same_term A for effort

Massie materially advanced the proposal by introducing H.R. 9694 in the 119th Congress, and the bill contains the promised application of existing federal criminal statutes to DOJ/FBI and related officials for misconduct involving covered Epstein records. But as of September 1, 2026, the bill had only been introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, with no enactment or operative penalties in force. Because Massie remains in federal office and the legislation is still pending, the promise is not delivered yet but remains unresolved rather than finally failed.

provider codex_cli · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 91%