The next is the transcript of the interview with Reps. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Dec. 21, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by two Home members who pushed their colleagues into passing the invoice to launch these paperwork. Republican Thomas Massie, who’s in Garrison, Kentucky, and Democrat Ro Khanna, who joins us this morning from Palo Alto, California. It is good to have each of you right here. I need to begin with you, Congressman Massie, as a result of in these previous 48 hours, now we have seen the Justice Division acknowledge it is an incomplete launch, however they’ve put out greater than 13,000 recordsdata. They are saying extra will come. This is not every part you requested for simply but, however would you acknowledge that they’re complying with this spirit, if not the intent of your regulation?
REP. THOMAS MASSIE: No, they’re flouting the spirit and the letter of the regulation. It’s extremely troubling the posture that they’ve taken. And I will not be happy till the survivors are happy. , I stated within the hours main as much as this launch that we are going to know if they’re complying, in the event that they implicate any of the opposite criminals which might be concerned and the suspects which might be concerned. The witnesses this- the victims themselves, have given to the FBI, they usually’ve by no means been talked about.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, there are some disclosures in right here that appear new. Congressman Khanna. The paperwork affirm that the FBI obtained a grievance about Jeffrey Epstein again in 1996 however the girl, whose identify is Maria Farmer who made that grievance, stated federal officers didn’t observe up. She stated the disclosure makes her really feel redeemed, and that this was among the best days of her life to see these paperwork made public. What motion would you like taken round a case like this?
REP. RO KHANNA: That was the only most essential disclosure of what we bought. I do know Maria’s sister. She sounded the alarm in 1996, she complained to the FBI. The issue is that Epstein was so related with regulation enforcement and highly effective politicians, the FBI did nothing for a decade. Frankly, she deserves compensation. She deserves an evidence, however the broader level is, Blanche was on this morning saying that Massie and I’ve an issue, that it is taking too lengthy. That is not the issue. The issue is, this was a slap within the face of survivors. What do they need? They need to know who’re the wealthy and highly effective males who visited Epstein’s rape island and lined up the abuse and the important thing paperwork that our regulation mainly stated wanted to be launched. The 60-count indictment that truly implicates a number of these individuals and the prosecution memo weren’t launched. It is not in regards to the timeline, it is in regards to the selective concealment.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, but. Proper? The Deputy Lawyer Common stated there are extra disclosures that will likely be made. You consider that they won’t launch that individual half? You probably did give them some leeway for redactions.
REP. KHANNA: Properly, initially, the redactions have been extreme. And even Harvard Regulation professors who’ve checked out which have stated, you possibly can’t redact inner communications, you possibly can’t redact workforce product, and the courts are going to seek out that these have been extreme. However my level, and I am positive Congressman Massie can elaborate, is that we wish the recordsdata out. So if our sounding the alarm on what’s lacking goes to assist them get these recordsdata out, superb. However this should not be an enormous doc dump. There is a fairly easy level, who raped these younger women who lined it up, and why are they getting away with it?
MARGARET BRENNAN: So that you’re saying particular issues relating to the indictment. Congressman Massie, I noticed in a video that you simply posted, you had a really particular benchmark of success right here. You stated, there are no less than 20 males accused of intercourse crimes recognized to the FBI. How are you aware that quantity? And are you aware these names?
REP. MASSIE: Yeah, the survivors’ legal professionals have advised me these numbers, they usually’ve described their professions and typically, however they’ve solely given me a kind of names, and I discussed that in a congressional listening to, Jess Staley. So I searched these paperwork, I did not see Jess Staley’s identify, nor did I see 19 different names. And this is why we should not be optimistic that Blanche or Bondi are going to launch this stuff. They despatched a six web page memo to Congress and said- they cited pre-existing legal guidelines as causes that they weren’t going to observe our regulation. As an illustration, our regulation requires them to launch info no matter embarrassment, however they’re making an attempt to say {that a} earlier regulation prevails when it would not. Frequent sense says it would not, the Privateness Act would not shield them from that. After which additionally, as Ro stated, inner communications these they’re utilizing a FOIA customary that does not apply as a result of our regulation already says they’ve to offer us inner communications
MARGARET BRENNAN: When it comes to the gentleman there you referenced as accused. I imply being within the doc would not essentially show felony habits proper? When it comes to the redactions, what the Deputy Lawyer Common stated is that they have been abiding by your regulation, and likewise a decide in New York had ordered them to take heed to victims. In order that they’re claiming that info that they’d initially even printed Friday they needed to pull down as a result of they have been making an attempt to guard victims. You are not- you do not sound satisfied that they’re abiding by, , this intent?
REP. MASSIE: No, they aren’t abiding. And all three judges who launched the grand jury materials stated that our regulation trumps the prior regulation. That is simply widespread sense. Regulation faculty 101. But Todd Blanche is utilizing a distinct concept that would not survive first contact with any courtroom, which is he is making an attempt to say that prior legal guidelines override our regulation. That is not the best way this works.
MARGARET BRENNAN : Okay, what are you going to do about it, to drive them to conform? I imply, are you able to do something?
REP. MASSIE: Oh, completely. Look, individuals have talked about- and by the best way, Todd Blanche is the face of this, nevertheless it’s actually the Lawyer Common’s Workplace, Pam Bondi, who’s accountable. And there are a number of methods to get at this. Some take longer. Some are shorter. The quickest means, and I feel most expeditious means, to get justice for these victims is to convey inherent contempt in opposition to Pam Bondi, and that does not require going by way of the courts and provides her and, and- mainly Ro Khanna and I are speaking about and drafting that proper now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, effectively, I imply, on one other community this morning, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine stated, impeachment or contempt, it’s untimely, Congressman Khanna. And the Deputy Lawyer Common stated, “convey it on.” They are not taking this very critically. And should you simply haven’t got the mathematics within the Senate, together with, no less than now this Democratic senator not being satisfied, would not that type of present that you simply’re on the restrict of strain?
REP. KHANNA: No, we solely want the Home for inherent contempt, and we’re constructing a bipartisan coalition, and it could superb Pam Bondi for daily that she’s not releasing these paperwork. I will let you know why, I’ve talked to the survivors, why that is such a slap within the face. One of many survivors stated they launched her identify by accident, however they nonetheless haven’t launched the FBI file in regards to the individuals who abused her at her request. And the issue right here is that there are wealthy and highly effective individuals. Everyone knows this. There are 1,200 victims. They’re wealthy and highly effective individuals who both engaged on this abuse, lined it up or have been on this island. And what the American individuals need to know is, who’re these individuals? And as a substitute of holding them accountable, Pam Bondi is breaking the regulation. And that is the corrupt system, the Epstein class that persons are sick of. So I consider we will get bipartisan help in holding her accountable, and a committee of Congress ought to decide whether or not these redactions are justified or not.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Someday in January, if you all come again. I assume that- that may occur. I need to ask you although Congressman Khanna, there have been photos launched previously 48 hours. A few of them embody former President Invoice Clinton. There’s no less than one picture of Donald Trump. I ought to say neither man has been accused of any improper doing associated to Epstein, although they clearly knew him. However since Friday’s publication, we’re exhibiting the picture right here now. One of many photos was pulled down. There have been 15 photos complete that have been then redacted from the DOJ web site. And it’s- it is type of laborious to see, nevertheless it’s an open drawer with a photograph of President Trump. Why do you suppose that was pulled down? As a result of the Deputy Lawyer Common says this was victims saying that their privateness or someway their integrity was being compromised by having that picture printed.
REP. KHANNA: Properly, I am much less involved about that photograph. I do not know the information. My concern is the foremost paperwork that we all know are on the market that have not been launched, the 60-count indictment that exhibits huge monetary fraud and overseas interference, the prosecution memo and look–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Overseas interference?–
REP. KHANNA: –They put out these Invoice Clinton pictures- Properly, they- there are allegations that there are overseas governments that doubtlessly have been concerned. And that every one wants to return out. And it wants to return out within the indictments, it wants to return out within the prosecution memos. However the actuality is, they put out these photos for Invoice Clinton. Wonderful, put all of it out. However do not distract from the elemental problem, which is, who’re these highly effective individuals who have been visited rape- the rape island? I imply, they’re 1200 victims. It defies widespread sense that it was simply Epstein and- and Maxwell, they usually’re hiding one thing. And why the American persons are so upset? My X account had MAGA supporters supporting me for the primary time, saying, , Pam Bondi whiffed, based on Susan Wiles, she is breaking the regulation. She must be held accountable.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are referring to the Self-importance Truthful quote that the chief of employees gave, saying the “whiffed,” and he or she stated that Pam Bondi gave them “binders filled with nothingness.” After which when it got here to the shopper record, she stated it was on her desk. “There isn’t any shopper record,” quote “and it positive as hell wasn’t on her desk.” Do you see that as an acknowledgement right here, although, that, that the politics have overtaken the substance?
REP. KHANNA: No, for us, it is in regards to the survivors. And should you have a look at Thomas Massie and my feedback, the morning of the discharge, we have been giving t- Blanche the good thing about the doubt. We stated, if it is not all there, superb, simply get the knowledge out. It is when the survivors stated that that is an insult, it is a slap of their face that we don’t get the reality about who these males have been on the – on rape island, that we began sounding the alarm. And that is extra paperwork of nothingness. And I suppose the query the American individuals have even to me, is, is the system so corrupt, is the system so corrupt that Thomas Massie and also you defy the percentages, go a invoice by way of a discharge petition, get the Senate, get the president to signal it, and nonetheless, these wealthy and highly effective persons are being protected. Who has this type of maintain on our authorities? What are they hiding? Why are they not releasing this?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, you need what individuals concerned in these preliminary investigations down in Florida, re-examined and probably prosecuted?
REP. KHANNA: I would like the knowledge out which was in that prosecution memo that Acosta disregarded, that have been in these indictments, that there have been 60 counts in opposition to Epstein, solely two counts have been prosecuted. I need to know who have been these different individuals who have been on the Epstein’s rape island, who have been the individuals who noticed younger women being paraded round at events, 13,14,15 yr olds, and did not say something. And why- why is it so laborious when there is a regulation requiring these names to return out? What we’re seeing is survivors’ names come out, however not the lads who abuse them. And as a substitute of, as a substitute of holding elites accountable, Pam Bondi is breaking the regulation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Properly, we are going to see if you gents come again to work someday in January, what your subsequent measures are. It sounds such as you’ve made it clear you are shifting motion in opposition to the Lawyer Common. Thanks each on your response immediately, Face the Nation will likely be again in a minute. Stick with us.
