Rep. Stansbury accuses Trump and GOP of ‘colluding’ to prevent full file release – We Got This Covered

Representative Melanie Stansbury from New Mexico has made serious accusations against President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. She claims they are working together to stop the full release of Jeffrey Epstein investigation files. The Democratic congresswoman sits on the House Oversight Committee that has been releasing Epstein documents, though many pages remain heavily redacted.

Stansbury joined TMZ Live on Wednesday to discuss Trump’s connections to Epstein. She pointed to references found in Epstein’s birthday book that was recently released by Congress. The documents show Trump’s name appearing in what appears to be a letter to the convicted sex offender for his 50th birthday in 2003.

During her interview, Stansbury made her strongest claim yet. “I see a new Epstein cover up,” she said, directly accusing the current administration of hiding information. She believes Trump has known about Epstein’s criminal activities for decades and is now working to prevent Americans from learning the full truth.

Discharge petition faces White House pressure

The controversy centers around a bipartisan effort led by Representative Thomas Massie and Representative Ro Khanna. They have filed a discharge petition that would force the Justice Department to release all Epstein files within 30 days. The petition needs 218 signatures to force a House vote, and as of Wednesday morning, 134 lawmakers had signed on – 130 Democrats and four Republicans.

However, the White House has framed voting for the discharge petition as a “hostile act” toward the Trump administration. A White House official warned that supporting the petition would be viewed as hostile while the Department of Justice claims to support a different approach through the Oversight Committee.

Stansbury specifically called out House Speaker Mike Johnson and Representative James Comer for what she sees as obstruction tactics that mirror broader GOP concerns. She told reporters that in a meeting with Epstein victims, “it was suggested by Democrats that this be investigated using the full force of every committee here in Congress. And the speaker ended by saying he didn’t think that was necessary.”

The House Oversight Committee has released over 30,000 pages of Epstein-related documents, but critics say much of the information was already public. Stansbury argues that victims revealed “not only the trauma of hundreds (maybe thousands) of young women, but a cover-up of epic proportions involving the wealthy, the well-connected, and even our own government – all the way to the top.” She believes the released documents represent only a small fraction of what the government possesses, and many observers have noted the heavily redacted nature of the files.