Q & A — The Epstein Files Transparency Act

Plain answers to the questions people are searching for about H.R. 4405, Public Law 119-38, and the DOJ’s continuing non-compliance. Updated when facts change.

What is H.R. 4405?

H.R. 4405 — the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) — is a federal law requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to release all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment.

How did the House vote on H.R. 4405?

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4405 on November 18, 2025 by a vote of 427-1 (Roll Call 289). 216 Republicans voted YES, 211 Democrats voted YES, 1 Republican voted NO (Rep. Clay Higgins, R-LA-03), and 5 members did not vote (Beyer D-VA, Casar D-TX, Sherrill D-NJ, Rulli R-OH, Womack R-AR).

Who was the lone NAY vote?

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA-03) cast the sole NAY vote on H.R. 4405. He stated before the vote that he had been a “no” vote on the matter since the beginning.

Who sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act?

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) introduced H.R. 4405 on July 15, 2025, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) as co-author. When House leadership declined to schedule a vote, Massie filed a discharge petition on September 2, 2025 to force the bill to the floor.

What is Public Law 119-38?

Public Law 119-38 is the official designation given to the Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 4405) when President Trump signed it into law on November 19, 2025.

What was the DOJ compliance deadline?

The Department of Justice was required by the law to release the Epstein files within 30 days of enactment — a deadline of December 19, 2025. The DOJ missed this deadline. The files remain largely unreleased as of May 2026.

What is UNREDACTED.INK?

UNREDACTED.INK is a pseudonymous civic accountability initiative created by _Illuminos (J.), tracking the gap between the 427-1 House vote on H.R. 4405 and the Department of Justice’s continuing failure to comply with the law. The campaign is nonpartisan, has no PAC funding, no corporate sponsors, no ads, and no paywall.

What is the Badge of Courage?

The UN|REDACTED Lapel Tag is positioned as “The Badge of Courage.” The campaign’s central insight: the Tag does not give the wearer courage — it identifies the courage they already had when they showed up. The campaign recognizes civic courage rather than selling it.

Who signed the discharge petition that forced the H.R. 4405 vote?

The discharge petition filed by Rep. Massie reached the 218-signature threshold on November 12, 2025 when newly-sworn Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) signed. Republican signers were Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Nancy Mace (R-SC). All sitting Democrats also signed.

Has any member of Congress publicly pressed for compliance after the deadline?

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) has been the most consistent public Republican voice demanding compliance, and was called a “failed politician” by the Attorney General for continuing to press the issue. Most other YES voters — Republican and Democratic — have not publicly demanded enforcement of the law they passed.

Last updated: May 2026. DOJ compliance status: still non-compliant.