The US Senate Finance Committee published a list of 58 people and companies with financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein on Wednesday. This happened as victims of the convicted sex trafficker warned they would release their own client list if the Trump administration kept blocking transparency efforts.
Senator Ron Wyden, who leads the committee’s Epstein investigation, requested suspicious banking records from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The list includes billionaires, major banks, and shell companies that moved money for Epstein’s criminal network.
The Senate investigation focuses on money flows that funded Epstein’s sex trafficking operations. Wyden’s team found over 4,700 wire transfers worth $1.08 billion between 2003 and 2019. These transfers included $170 million from Wall Street financier Leon Black and hundreds of millions routed through Russian banks.
Major financial institutions appear on the list. JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America all processed suspicious payments for Epstein. Some banks waited until Epstein’s 2019 arrest to flag $1.5 billion in questionable transactions.
Several high-profile names face scrutiny in the Senate probe. The list includes Victoria’s Secret founder Les Wexner, Trump impeachment lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and various trust funds and shell corporations Epstein created. Leon Black, Deutsche Bank, and JPMorgan have already paid over $1 billion in settlements to prevent trials.
Treasury Secretary Bessent has refused to cooperate with Wyden’s investigation. During an event, Bessent claimed Treasury lacks authority to investigate financial crimes while threatening to probe Wyden’s stock trading. Bessent stammered, calling Wyden’s requests “political theater”.
House lawmakers launched a similar request to Treasury in late August. Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna started a discharge petition to force the release of all Justice Department files on Epstein. They need 218 signatures to bypass Republican leadership and force a floor vote.
A group of Epstein’s victims rallied for transparency on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Lisa Phillips, a fashion model abused by Epstein as a teenager, gave the Trump administration an ultimatum at a press conference. She said victims would compile their own list if the government continued withholding information.
“Epstein survivors rally for transparency on Capitol Hill,” Phillips told lawmakers. “[Transparency is justice. Release the files, end the secrecy, and stand with us in declaring that no one is above the law.]” Epstein survivors work to name alleged abusers outside official probe.
The House Oversight Committee released 33,000 pages of Epstein documents on Tuesday. Oversight Committee Releases Subpoenaed Epstein Documents From DOJ reported mostly public court filings and previously disclosed records.
Epstein And Maxwell Survivors Unite, Demanding Justice As Capitol Hill Focus Returns covered the growing alliance between victims and lawmakers. Victims, Dems, Massie, MTG Rally for Epstein Transparency Bill highlighted bipartisan support among some Republicans and Democrats.
Trump administration officials oppose full disclosure of Epstein files. The White House called supporting the discharge petition a “hostile act” against the administration. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the effort as “inartfully drafted” because it lacks victim identity protections.
President Trump dismissed the Epstein controversy as a “Democrat hoax” on Wednesday. He told reporters the issue was “totally irrelevant” to his presidency’s success. This contradicts his 2024 campaign promises to release all Epstein-related files.
Epstein victims expressed frustration with the administration’s handling of their case. Haley Robson, a registered Republican who survived Epstein’s abuse, said Trump’s “hoax” comments felt like “being gutted from the inside out”. She invited Trump to meet with survivors on Capitol Hill.
The Justice Department concluded in July that no “client list” exists. Officials said they found no evidence Epstein blackmailed prominent figures or that he was murdered. This announcement disappointed Trump supporters who expected major revelations about Epstein’s associates.
Banking records suggest widespread financial enablement of Epstein’s crimes. Wyden’s investigation shows how major institutions processed payments to move women globally and engage in money laundering. Banks failed to report suspicious activity promptly as required by federal law.
Congressional pressure continues building despite White House opposition. Four Republicans have signed the discharge petition alongside 130 Democrats as of Wednesday morning. Petition sponsors need only two more Republican signatures to force a floor vote on releasing all Epstein files.
The competing congressional investigations reflect broader tensions over Epstein case transparency. While the Oversight Committee works through traditional subpoena processes, the discharge petition would compel immediate release of all unclassified Justice Department records. Victims and their advocates prefer the faster timeline offered by Massie and Khanna’s approach.
Financial institutions face renewed scrutiny over their Epstein connections. The Senate investigation aims to hold banks accountable for enabling criminal activity and identify institutions that ignored suspicious transaction reporting requirements. This could lead to additional regulatory action against major financial firms.
