Virginia Giuffre’s brother has torn into House Speaker Mike Johnson, accusing him of playing politics with survivors’ pain by stalling a vote to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Speaking on MSNBC Tuesday, Sky Roberts said Johnson’s refusal to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva—whose signature could supply the decisive 218th backer for a discharge petition compelling a floor vote—was inflicting real harm on those “victims and survivors” still seeking answers about the late sex offender’s network.
“I think he’s forgetting that these are human lives,” Roberts said. “These are actual victims and survivors, including my sister and the families… that are still suffering a great loss.
“And I think he forgets there’s a human side to this, that this isn’t just a political ring for [him] to run through. These are human lives and this hurts.
“This hurts every time [he] come[s] out and…just say[s], ‘Oh well, only a dozen survivors came to Washington to actually come forward.’”
He added: “How many is it gonna take?”
A group of Epstein survivors will return to the Capitol on Wednesday to hold another press conference demanding Congress force a vote.
Johnson has denied that politics around the files are driving the delay, insisting his hesitation is solely because the House is in a “pro forma” session during the shutdown.
Pressed by CNN’s Manu Raju this week on why he swore in Republicans under similar circumstances earlier this year but won’t do the same for Grijalva, a Democrat, Johnson replied, “It has nothing to do with that at all. We will swear her in when everybody gets back,” later saying it would be scheduled “as soon as she wants.”
Democrats and a handful of Republicans are backing a bipartisan discharge petition from Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna to force the House to consider legislation instructing the Justice Department to release its investigative files on Epstein, in which Donald Trump is said to feature heavily.
Backers say the petition stands at 217 signatures and would hit 218 once Grijalva is sworn in.
The 54-year-old’s victory in a special election two weeks ago to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, in Arizona’s 7th District would trim the already narrow GOP margin, further raising the stakes.
Johnson, however, has repeatedly resisted bringing the matter to the floor and sent the House home early for the August recess—a move critics said dodged Epstein-related votes.
President Trump, with whom Epstein socialized for years, opposes the disclosure push, and a White House official warned that backing the petition would be seen by Trump as a ‘hostile act.’
Grijalva herself said on Monday that she’s heard “absolutely nothing” with “no indication at all” about when she might be sworn in.
Roberts, whose sister died by suicide aged 41 in April after emerging as the most prominent victim of Epstein’s abuse, said the discussion should be focused on victims, not political manoeuvring.
“You’re holding [this] against the votes because you just have to defend a person or your friends,” he said.
The Daily Beast has contacted Johnson for comment.
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