The Bulwark’s Bill Kristol wrote Thursday that House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans were complicit in an “Orwellian” cover-up to protect powerful people involved in the Epstein scandal.
Kristol quoted Johnson telling CNN’s Jake Tapper, “I want everything to come out about the Epstein evils. . . . I’m pushing aggressively for the full release of everything that is possible, and, by the way, so is the president. We’re using every mechanism within our power to do that, and to do it as quickly as possible.”
And yet, Kristol wrote, Johnson “panicked” and “recessed the House in order to avoid a floor vote on a resolution calling for the release of the files.”
“This is Orwellian,” Kristol wrote.
The Epstein files reportedly include the names of President Donald Trump and other powerful associates of the convicted sex trafficker who died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019.
But try as he might to enjoy his summer recess, Kristol wrote that the Epstein scandal has followed Johnson home to Louisiana.
“Earlier this week, a state representative from Johnson’s own 4th district of Louisiana, a fellow Republican, took the extraordinary step of issuing a statement condemning Johnson,” Kristol wrote.
“State Rep. Danny McCormick of Oil City pointed out that Johnson ‘shut down Congress early to dodge the vote,’” adding, “It’s one thing to be silent. It’s another to actively stand in the way of truth and justice. That raises serious questions about who he’s really protecting.”
“Whoa,” Kristol responded to the state rep’s statement.
“The Speaker’s spin notwithstanding, so far Republicans in Congress have been part of the coverup,” Kristol wrote. “And the issue isn’t going away. The August recess should be interesting.”