MTG could use constitutional rule to out Epstein associates: "I'll say every damn name"

Greene said she would read alleged Epstein accusers' names on the House floor if given a list, stating she is not afraid to name names and calling for Congress to vote to release full investigative files. Members of Congress are protected by the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause, which shields floor speeches from civil and criminal liability and can block defamation suits. Georgetown law professor Josh Chafetz said using the clause this way is viable but noted the House could still discipline or expel a member. Some past uses of the clause have disclosed classified material, and cases have tested its limits outside the floor.

"If they want to give me a list, I will walk in that Capitol on the House floor and I'll say every damn name that abused these women," she said. "I can do that for them and I'd be proud to do it." "It's a scary thing to name names. But I will tell you, I'm not afraid to name names."

"She cannot be civilly sued or criminally prosecuted for anything she says on the floor," Chafetz said. "She could be punished by the House itself, but that would require a majority to vote to punish her (or, if they were seeking to expel her, a 2/3 vote)."

"The Speech or Debate Clause has been used a number of times in the past to make information public. Several of those uses have involved disclosure of classified information that the member thought the public should know about."

Read at Axios