At a sweltering Wednesday morning news conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, a dozen women stood for nearly 90 minutes under the harsh sunlight, facing cameras without a hint of shade.
What bound them together was an unimaginable trauma: each had been groomed and sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein and his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell. Most were teenagers when the abuse began.
Now adults, they wore butterfly pins as symbols of survival and resilience, and they demanded action. Their message was clear: Congress must stop protecting the wealthy and powerful and pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Survivors are frustrated with the slow pace of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation, which boasts of producing thousands of documents—most of which are already in the public domain.
The proposed act, sponsored by California Democrat Ro Khanna and Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, would compel the Justice Department, FBI, Treasury, and national security agencies to release all documents related to Epstein, regardless of “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity,” even if they involve government officials, public figures, or foreign dignitaries. Prosecutors could potentially pursue new cases as a result.
‘This Is Not a Hoax’: Epstein Survivors Share Their Stories on Capitol Hill. Through tears, several women who say they were victimized by Jeffrey Epstein spoke publicly about their experiences.
“The days of sweeping this under the rug are over,” said Anouska De Georgiou, who was a budding model in London when Epstein lured her into his world and abused her across his properties worldwide. “My polished exterior is a shield hiding a wound that still bleeds. I am no longer weak, no longer powerless. I am no longer alone.”
Marina Lacerda, identified as Victim No. 1 in Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking indictment, spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday. She said she still doesn’t fully comprehend the abuse she endured over three years. “There are people out there who know more about my abuse than I do,” she said. “The documents could help me put the pieces of my life back together.” Lacerda added that Epstein told her she was “too old” after she turned 17.
President Trump, who had personal ties to Epstein but has not been implicated in this particular scandal, had pledged during the 2024 campaign that he would not block the release of the files. In fact, in 2009, when survivors’ attorney Brad Edwards was building a case against Epstein, Trump was among the few high-profile associates who complied with a subpoena rather than avoiding it. His name reportedly appears numerous times in the files.
“Mr. Trump called me at exactly the time he was supposed to, said he’d heard I had questions about Jeffrey Epstein, and asked how he could help,” Edwards recounted in his 2020 book Relentless Pursuit. Trump claimed he was not as close to Epstein as the public assumed and said a 2002 quote calling Epstein “a terrific guy” was actually written by Epstein himself.
On Wednesday, Trump dismissed the issue as “a Democrat hoax that never ends,” later blaming the “radical left” for keeping it alive.
Haley Robson, who was 16 when she was recruited by a classmate to give Epstein a “massage” for money, described hearing Trump call the scandal a hoax as “being gutted from the inside out.” A registered Republican, Robson said she would meet with the president to plead, “Humanize us. There is no hoax.”
Despite White House warnings that signing a discharge petition—allowing the bill to bypass committee approval—would be “a very hostile act” for Republicans, three prominent supporters defied the caution: Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, and South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, herself a survivor of sexual abuse, who emerged Tuesday from a private meeting with survivors in tears.
All 212 House Democrats are expected to support the petition, with just two more Republican signatures needed. Speaker Mike Johnson does not believe support will materialize, but Khanna said Thursday he is confident it will by month’s end. “This isn’t politics; it’s about protecting America’s children and restoring trust in government. Survivors are the ones uniting the country,” Khanna said. “Even Marjorie Taylor Greene gave me a hug at the press conference.”
Lisa Phillips, host of the podcast From Now On about abuse survivors, was candid about the collective determination of the survivors. “We Epstein survivors have been discussing creating our own list,” Phillips said. “Stay tuned for more details.”
Some conspiracy-minded supporters of Trump believe a global pedophile network is shielded by government elites and hope the files will implicate liberal figures. But it’s clear from Epstein’s case that a wealthy, well-connected predator was protected for years. After pleading guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, Epstein faced minimal consequences.
His empire finally unraveled in 2019, when survivors’ attorneys and investigative reporting by the Miami Herald led to new criminal charges. Epstein died by suicide in jail, denying victims a trial and justice.
The survivors, however, are done waiting. They refuse to tolerate Republican delays on the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
“We know who was involved,” Robson said. “We’ve waited 20 years for action. Your time is up, and now we’re taking matters into our own hands,” according to latimes.
