U.S. Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greenesaid she got "a lot of pushback" fromPresident Donald Trump'sadministration over signing a petition tied to a bill pushing for the release of files onconvicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, spearheaded theSept. 2 discharge petition, which aims to push forwarda bill about files on the late financier. If 218 House members sign the petition – a majority – that would force a vote on a bill known as theEpstein Files Transparency Act. The legislation from Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, calls for the release of "all investigations, prosecutions or custodial matters" about Epstein andhis associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who isserving a 20-year prison termfor sex trafficking. If released, the information could include flight logs, names associated with criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements. Greene, a Republican from Georgia, signed the discharge petition on Sept. 2, making her just one of four GOP members to do so. In addition to Massie, Reps. Nancy Mace and Lauren Boebert also signed. In a Sept. 3interviewwith former Fox News host Eric Bolling on his Real America's Voice show "Bolling!", Greene said members of the Trump administration "didn't want me to sign the discharge petition." USA TODAY has reached out to the White House for comment. In the Sept. 3interview, which came a day after Greene met privately with some of Epstein's victims, Bolling asked, "Do you expect you're gonna get a little pushback from the administration for getting involved in this?" "Oh, I got a lot of pushback. I got phone call after phone call last night," Greene said. "They didn't want me to sign the discharge petition. They want to focus on the oversight investigation." She also said that she doesn't blame Trump himself "whatsoever," but some of his staff members. "Any president is insulated and in a cone of information based on the people that work directly with him, and I don't think they've informed him on what a big deal this really is," Greene said. Greene added that she wants Trump "to be the hero and champion of this issue." A group of Epstein's victims met privately Sept. 2 with members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, including Greene. The meeting left Mace, the congresswoman from South Carolina,having a "full blown panic attack"while listening to survivors' stories. Macesaid on social mediaafterwards that she exited the meeting after having "a very difficult time listening to their stories." Greene was one of several lawmakers who spoke at apress conferenceafter the meeting. "The truth needs to come out," she said. "And the government holds the truth." The Georgia congresswoman's words didn't sit right with some, however.Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and social media influencer, called Greene a "fraud" who is "trying to pretend like Trump is a pedophile" in aposton X. A longtime Trump ally, Greene has beenvocal in pushing for the releaseofEpstein's supposed client list. Trump and Attorney GeneralPam Bondiboth previouslyvowedto release thesupposed list, but the Department of Justice and FBIsaid on July 7 such files never existed. SomeRepublicans, including Greene, have pushed for more transparencyaround the case in the months since. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Sept. 3 that the push to release the files had become partisan. "It's really a Democrat hoax," the president said. "Because they're trying to get people to talk about something that's totally irrelevant to the success that we've had as a nation since I've been president." Contributing: Bart Jansen and Zac Anderson, USA TODAY Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached atmelina.khan@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:White House opposed Epstein petition, Marjorie Taylor Greene says
