Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-Arizona) was officially sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives on November 12, 2025, ending weeks of political delays and immediately making headlines with her first act in office. Within minutes of taking her oath, Grijalva signed a discharge petition demanding the release of all unclassified Jeffrey Epstein documents, instantly providing the critical 218th signature needed to trigger a House vote.
The petition, led jointly by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), had been stalled for weeks as the House awaited Grijalva’s official seating. Her signature now guarantees that the proposal — which would force federal agencies to declassify Epstein-related materials — moves to the House floor within the next seven legislative days.
Grijalva, who succeeds her late father, longtime Congressman Raúl Grijalva, called the move a matter of transparency and justice. “The American people deserve the truth,” she said after signing. “We cannot allow silence or political games to bury accountability.”
The timing of her swearing-in became a point of national attention. Democrats had accused Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) of deliberately delaying her oath of office to prevent the petition from reaching its threshold. Johnson denied the charge, saying the delay followed procedural precedent during the ongoing government shutdown. Still, critics argued the holdup served political purposes — keeping the Epstein petition one vote short of success until now.
With Grijalva’s arrival, the bipartisan effort to unseal Epstein’s records — which now includes all 214 House Democrats and four Republicans — has reached a turning point. The petition’s supporters say releasing the full cache of files is essential to restore public trust in government and ensure that anyone connected to Epstein’s sex trafficking network is held accountable, regardless of status or party affiliation.
The measure’s opponents, however, warn that broad disclosure could compromise active investigations or reveal personal data unrelated to the criminal case. The White House has remained cautious, signaling that any large-scale release would require a security review before publication.
If approved, the House bill would direct federal agencies — including the FBI and Department of Justice — to declassify all Epstein-related correspondence, financial records, and communications involving public officials, with limited redactions for privacy or national security.
Political observers note that this dramatic opening move places Grijalva squarely in the national spotlight. Her decision to act immediately underscores both her commitment to government transparency and her willingness to challenge congressional leadership on one of Washington’s most sensitive issues.
As the House prepares for the vote, the stakes are high. If passed, it could trigger an unprecedented release of documents exposing how Jeffrey Epstein operated and who may have aided or protected him. Whether this results in real accountability — or simply more controversy — remains to be seen, but Grijalva’s bold first step has already changed the conversation in Congress.
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