Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein spoke on Capitol Hill, pushing for all related files to be made public. Marina Lacerda, an important witness from Epstein’s 2019 case, declared, “This is not a hoax. It is not going to go away.”
Anouska De Georgiou, the first survivor to address the crowd, said victims are joining to be heard. She said, “The days of sweeping this under the rug are over. We say ‘no more.’” She also appealed directly to President Trump to use his influence to help the cause.
At a White House press event, Trump called this effort a “Democrat hoax that never ends” and said it distracts from his administration’s work.
Survivors urged lawmakers to back a bipartisan bill from Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna aimed at forcing the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. Haley Robson, a victim, invited Trump to meet her to understand the reality behind the trauma.
Emotional survivors shared stories of abuse, some dating back to when they were teenagers. Rep. Massie asked his colleagues to consider if their own family members were among the victims.
Massie called the effort a stand to protect children, and Khanna said it’s a fight against big money and for justice for survivors.
Four Republicans, including Massie, have signed onto the bill. If all Democrats join, just two more Republican votes will force a House vote.
Attorney Bradley Edwards, who represents over 200 survivors, said the bill should easily pass. He warned the public will be shocked when they see the documents.
House GOP leadership opposes the bill. Speaker Mike Johnson said it does not sufficiently protect victims and prefers the House Oversight Committee’s thorough investigation.
The Oversight Committee subpoenaed records from the Justice Department and Epstein’s estate. They recently released thousands of pages of documents already mostly public.
Top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia, said 97% of released files were previously known. He said no client lists or new transparency measures were found.
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in 2019 on charges of child sex trafficking but died by suicide while in custody. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s crimes.
Several survivors and their families rallied outside the Capitol before the news conference. Survivor Liz Stein highlighted the unity of survivors’ voices, saying, “We stand united.”
[inline_related_posts title=”RECOMMENDED” title_align=”left” style=”list” number=”2″ align=”none” ids=”” by=”primary_cat” orderby=”rand” order=”DESC” hide_thumb=”no” thumb_right=”no” views=”no” date=”yes” grid_columns=”2″ post_type=”” tax=””]
This public plea from survivors comes amid political conflict over transparency and justice related to one of the most notorious sex trafficking cases in recent history. The debate continues as lawmakers weigh how much information should be shared with the public.
The push from both sides reflects the ongoing struggle to balance victims’ rights, political interests, and the pursuit of accountability after Epstein’s death, reports from the Capitol Hill press.
