Epstein victims speak out and pressure congress to release more files
The US congress is considering a measure that would require the Justice Department to release all documents from Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Several of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims stepped into the public spotlight on Wednesday, seeking to remind congress of the nature of his crimes and putting pressure on politicians to release government files on the convicted sex offender.
“It is time for us to see behind the curtain, why Jeffrey Epstein was so protected, who is still being protected, and who protected them all,” said Courtney Wild, one of several women who demanded the release of documents. Ms Wild was introduced to Epstein when she was 14 years old. She said her 2008 lawsuit over his plea deal is the reason the public knows he was granted federal immunity.
The event outside the Capitol, led by Kentucky Republican representative Thomas Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna, came a day after several of the women met with politicians in private. Mr Massie and Mr Khanna are pressing for a full House vote that would require the Justice Department to release all files from its prosecution of Epstein, who died in 2019. The materials would be subject to redactions to protect personal information of victims and ongoing investigations.
“They have documents with my name on them that were confiscated from Jeffrey Epstein’s house that could help me put the pieces of my own life back together,” said Marina Lacerda, who said she was speaking publicly for the first time about her experience. She said she was 14 when she first met Epstein and was “Minor Victim 1” in Epstein’s 2019 federal indictment. “I had no way out until he told me I was too old.”
Allies of President Donald Trump have long sought release of Epstein-related materials, but the Justice Department said in July there wasn’t a client list of people who participated in Epstein’s trafficking of young girls, and new files would not be released.
An uproar ensued among some of Mr Trump’s prominent supporters who believe powerful elites are being protected by the administration’s silence, prompting efforts by congressional Republicans to release more materials. Mr Trump has called the renewed interest in the Epstein case a hoax hatched by Democrats.
The House Oversight Committee, which has subpoenaed the Justice Department and the Epstein estate, on Tuesday night released a first tranche of documents that have been turned over so far by the Justice Department. But many of them, such as redacted flight logs, police reports and court filings, were already public. The committee expects to release further documents.
As of Tuesday evening, Mr Massie had recruited three other Republicans to sign on to his effort, including close ally Marjorie Taylor Greene. He needs at least six Republicans in total, including himself, assuming all Democrats join. GOP leaders have worked to block the Massie measure, pointing to the progress made so far in making more materials public, an argument that appeared to win over some would-be Massie allies.
“It’s shameful this has been called a hoax. This is not a hoax,” Mr Massie said. “There are real victims to this criminal enterprise and the perpetrators are being protected because they are rich and powerful.”
Demands have grown for the release of documents from other locations. Brad Edwards, a lawyer who has represented Epstein accusers for years, urged the release of records from the Central Intelligence Agency, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Securities and Exchange Commission. “Nothing should be off limits,” he said. “This issue transcends politics.”
The Justice Department informed Mr Trump in May that his name appeared several times in files related to Epstein, The Wall Street Journal reported. Many other high-profile figures were also named, the President was told. Being mentioned in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. The White House called the story “fake news”.
“The only motive for opposing this bill would be to conceal wrongdoing,” said Anouska De Georgiou. She said she survived abuse by both Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 for conspiring with Epstein. “Accountability is what makes a society civilised.”
The Wall Street Journal
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