Mike Johnson 'Blocking' The Epstein Files, Says Eric Swalwell: 'Are You For Real Mini Mike?'

Rep. Eric  Swalwell (D-Calif.) accused House Speaker Mike  Johnson of "blocking the Epstein files" in a caustic post on X Tuesday, injecting partisan heat into Congress's fight over whether to release records tied to the disgraced Jeffrey Epstein.

What Happened: "All I read is blah blah blah you're blocking the Epstein files. Are you for real, Mini Mike?" the Democrat wrote, replying directly to Johnson's own thread about transparency and House procedure.

Minutes earlier, Johnson had insisted "House Republicans aren't going to be lectured on transparency" while defending a Rules Committee vote that kept a Democratic amendment demanding a full document dump from reaching the floor.

He praised members who "voted correctly" so the chamber could "swiftly pay our brave soldiers and enact the most important cryptocurrency legislation in our country's history," a reference to the GOP‑backed GENIUS Act.

See Also: Elizabeth Warren Slams Trump’s Plan To ‘Gut’ Sesame Street Funding — ‘If He Gets Away With This, Next Time….’

Johnson's social‑media post contrasted with comments he gave in a podcast interview published after Tuesday's 211‑210 vote. "I'm for transparency … we should put everything out there and let the people decide it," he told conservative host Benny Johnson, even as he urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to explain earlier remarks about possessing a "client list" from Epstein's case.

Why It Matters: Democrats say the speaker's rhetoric does not match his record. As per an Axios report, the GOP has twice this week scuttled efforts by Reps. Ro  Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas  Massie (R-Ky.) to force public release of the files. Only one Republican backed the proposal in committee and none on the floor, according to vote tallies.

The Justice Department and FBI last week reaffirmed that Epstein's 2019 jail death was a suicide and said no client list exists, a conclusion that has angered Trump‑aligned activists. President Donald Trump has called the controversy "sordid, but… boring" on Tuesday, as per The Hill and continued to defend Bondi, while some conservatives press for Ghislaine Maxwell to testify before Congress.

Photo Courtesy: Lev Radin on Shutterstock.com

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