The US Congress will vote next week on whether to release more files related to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
All 214 Democratic representatives were joined by four Republicans in signing a petition over the issue, and the speaker must now bring the measure to the floor.
Washington is already in turmoil over the Epstein files after Democrats in the House of Representatives this week released thousands of emails in which Epstein repeatedly mentioned President Donald Trump. The broader files contain more than 33,000 pages amassed in a federal investigation; Trump has called them a “hoax.”
Congressional Republicans are under pressure from their base, and the vote will force them to go on record supporting or blocking their release.