Democrat Adelita Grijalva has secured a pivotal victory in a special election for a U.S. House seat in Arizona. Her win is not just a local success; it is the critical event that clinches a long-sought goal for a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
These backers of transparency have been working to force a vote on releasing Justice Department files concerning the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Their primary tool is a procedural move known as a discharge petition, which allows members of the House to force a bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote if it has majority support.
A discharge petition requires 218 signatures to succeed, a high bar that is rarely met. Before Grijalva's win, the petition was just one signature short. House leadership, who controls which bills come to the floor, had previously declined to schedule a vote on the matter.
Grijalva's victory provides the final, decisive signature. This will now compel House leadership to schedule a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, an action many have been demanding to ensure accountability and justice for the victims.