White House officials meet with Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert over push to release Epstein files

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KRDO) – Top Trump administration officials met with Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert behind closed doors on Wednesday to discuss the bipartisan push to force a House vote on releasing the Justice Department’s Epstein files, multiple sources tell ABC News.

According to those sources, the private meeting was part of an effort to persuade Boebert to remove her signature from a petition calling for the files’ release, which detail years of investigation into child sex trafficking connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

However, in an interview with CNN following the meeting, Boebert strongly denied those reports.

"The president did not force me to do anything," Boebert said, "The president has not put pressure on me. I was not asked by the president to remove my name. Every conversation I had was welcomed, and very civil, and it's okay for people to have discussions about things that are going on with our nation."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the meeting on Wednesday after she was asked about reports that officials had met with Boebert, CNN reports.

“Doesn’t that show the level of transparency when we are willing to sit down with members of Congress and address their concerns?” she told reporters at a press briefing, adding, “I’m not going to detail conversations that took place in the Situation Room.”

The meeting came just hours before the discharge petition reached the required 218 signatures to trigger a vote, with the final signature coming from newly sworn-in Rep. Adelita Grijalva.

Boebert ultimately kept her name on the petition. She is one of just four Republicans who signed it, joining Reps. Thomas Massie, Nancy Mace, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Following the private meeting, Boebert posted on X, "I want to thank White House officials for meeting with me today. Together, we remain committed to ensuring transparency for the American people."

If the House's effort to release the Epstein files passes, it would still have to pass the GOP-led Senate and be signed into law by Trump, which is unlikely.

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