Inside the West Palm Beach Hearing Where Epstein Survivors Finally Testified

[0:00] Joining me here on the scene is the wonderful Tara Palmieri. She is obviously very well known [0:07] to our viewers because she comes on all the time and hosting the Red Letter. Good to see you. [0:13] And you know, we're just, this is sort of a, we're just improvising. We're ad-libbing to this [0:16] pregame to the hearing, but it's so important, Tara, what we're about to see. And it's, while [0:22] it's great to see you in person and we're smiling because it's a nice, it's a nice thing to see our [0:26] colleagues in person and so on. This is going to be a really powerful and I think a tough to watch [0:34] hearing. This is going to be hard to watch. I mean, it's going to be important. It's important viewing [0:38] and necessary viewing, but these folks have been through a lot. These ladies have been through a [0:42] lot. You know, I've been thinking about it, Jim, and it's like all of the hearings on Jeffrey Epstein [0:46] have been behind closed doors. And we haven't seen the faces of these people, a lot of them men, [0:52] talking about their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Like they are ashamed and afraid and [0:58] the, and they're, and Congress has given them a pass by making this all behind closed door, [1:02] essentially. That's right. Yeah. That's right. And the people who should have been the first ones [1:06] to be called are in fact, these survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, because they are willing to show [1:11] their faces. They have been victims of crimes, like really painful crimes. Sex crimes are very, [1:18] very, very difficult to process. And most people don't want to bear testimony to it, [1:23] but these women have been so incredibly brave. They've been so incredibly willing to speak about [1:28] their story. They are the witnesses to these crimes. They are the evidence. They are all of it. [1:34] And yet they have been second class. They've been second class citizens in all of this. They are, [1:41] this is a shadow hearing because it's not an actual, like it's because it won't be registered in the [1:46] Library of Congress, unfortunately. The Republicans did not, are not involved in this. This is completely [1:52] partisan. It thankfully is like, feels very choreographed. It doesn't feel like a press, [1:57] like at some sort of stunty press conference, which I was a little worried about, but it does [2:01] feel like legitimate. Like we even have a timer for testimony. But like, I just hope that when Democrats, [2:09] if they win back the house, that they will do this again and on the, in the halls of Congress, [2:16] and they will actually, you know, real hearings, real hearings, um, they will take their words as [2:23] sworn under oath, which is what these survivors have already done. They have given their sworn [2:29] testimony to the FBI over and over and over again when in the first, you know, and they've never been [2:36] treated, um, they've never been treated as if their testimony is valuable. It is always treated as [2:45] hearsay and gossip. Right. And didn't Trump make some comment about that, that they should, uh, have [2:51] to be, uh, sworn in or something like that and testify. I mean, they've already done that. He's made [2:56] all these cockamamie excuses and he has not met with these survivors. Uh, it's, it's sad. I mean, [3:03] it really, it like, it, it bothers me. The way they've been treated. Yeah. And I mean, I'm really [3:06] happy to see a lot of members of like independent media. We've got like Katie here, Katie Fang, [3:14] Love Parnas, not a lot of like the big players in, you know, mainstream media, which is actually [3:20] really disappointing to me. It's disappointing. This is a really big deal. And the, the, the [3:25] survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have not been paid their due and they've always never been a part [3:30] of this story. And so I, yeah, why, I mean that, that is disturbing. I think we should talk about [3:35] that. The fact that the mainstream corporate legacy media, you know, they, they just don't [3:40] give this the kind of coverage it should get and they should be here. I mean, where, where are those [3:44] guys? They should be in this room right now. They should be covering this live. And you know, [3:49] if it were, I think if it were a democratic president, they'd be all over this. And because [3:53] it's Donald Trump and they're afraid of Donald Trump and the FCC and all that, that they just [3:58] don't give this the coverage that it warrants. They were all crowded outside of a snowy courthouse [4:03] in a upstate or I guess what, what, what, what town did the Clintons live in that they [4:08] Chappaqua Chappaqua there. They're all crowded outside in the snow outside of Chappaqua when [4:13] the Clintons gave their two bit, I don't recall, I don't remember like answers, you know, [4:18] or denials and it was all behind closed doors. Ridiculous. Yeah. Where, why are they not all [4:24] crowded outside right now? Like again, these women hold all of the keys to the story of Jeffrey [4:30] Epstein and have never been given their proper respect or observance. And many of them are afraid, [4:36] right Tara? I mean, it's really hard for them to do this and speak out. Uh, and, and they've been [4:42] threatened. They've been harassed. Um, there's somebody handing us some, I actually want to talk about [4:48] this because what is this about? Yeah. What does this say? So Barry Krischer is okay. So if you guys [4:53] have any time, I did a really long, um, investigative podcast on Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 [4:59] called broken Jeffrey Epstein. And I, I worked with Virginia Giuffre to like find witnesses to [5:04] cooperate the crimes. But this man that is mentioned in this document, Barry Krischer, he was the Palm [5:10] beach state attorney, um, at the time. And he literally treated the victims as if they were [5:16] prostitutes under the influence of Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer, who he was a fan boy [5:22] too. Um, and literally his deputy who was running the sham grand jury investigation said, there are [5:31] no victims here. Those were her words like that. They looked up their MySpace pages to show that [5:37] these girls were like a lot of teenagers drinking, had boyfriends and made them seem like they were [5:42] teen sluts. Like that was their MO and it was so, it was so egregious what they did after parents were [5:51] coming and complaining to the Palm beach police about what was going on in this house. And there [5:55] was so much overwhelming evidence that Michael Ryder, who I think is a true hero. And I hope he's [6:00] here, but he was the Palm beach police chief at the time. He and, um, Joseph McCary, sadly, he's the [6:05] detective and he is dead right now, unfortunately. But what they did is like, they deserve canonization, [6:13] but he went over Barry Christopher's head and went to this, uh, U S attorney's office. Um, [6:19] I almost said Jim Acosta, you know what I'm talking about? No relation, right? Alex Acosta. We are not [6:25] related. I was mentioning this earlier, no relation, been checked out. Yeah. So he goes, as a matter of [6:30] fact, when Trump nominated Alex Acosta to be labor secretary, he, he said at a press conference [6:34] that they made sure that we weren't related. So that's where he, not that he's always told the [6:38] truth, but that's if he was related, he would have better, um, he would have better judgment. [6:42] Um, he would have that, uh, Acosta clarity. Um, no, he, he went to the U S attorney saying [6:48] like, this is an insane miscarriage of justice. We cannot let this happen. Um, and, and because [6:57] of that, um, you know, they, they picked up the case and this really wonderful attorney, Maria [7:04] Villafania, who I did have a really strong, like I struggled with her because there was [7:08] a part of me that like kind of hated her a little bit. Like I was knocking on doors and [7:12] like trying to figure out like, why would this story, like, why would they drop the ball on [7:16] this story? Why would she go from 80, like 80 counts, you know, like almost a hundred pages [7:21] of, of, uh, indictment documents and go down to like kicking it back to the state level to [7:28] just, you know, one count of soliciting a minor prostitution. Like how does that happen? [7:32] And I, I mean, is it her fault? No, I mean, she was just gotten royally hosed through all [7:38] of this. Yeah. But I always wondered if she could have done more, but I mean, at the end [7:42] of the day, it's like, it's very, you know, I, I, I, I know she tried and I know she was [7:48] frustrated, but I think the survivors felt really, really disappointed by her because she [7:54] was essentially after Acosta told her like that they had to do a sweetheart deal. Like she [8:00] engineered that and then kept the survivors out of the loop about this. And that is why [8:05] they were able to, you know, um, to fight it in the crime victims rights act case, which [8:11] actually ultimately led to the rearrest of Jeffrey Epstein. I would love if you like, like [8:16] learned about Courtney wilds, who is like also a national hero. There are so many freaking [8:21] heroes in this story and yet they don't get any recognition. Um, well, I'm just showing the [8:27] room one more time tear here because in about six or seven minutes, this hearing is supposed [8:32] to get started. It's a spotlight hearing, a shadow hearing held by the Democrats on the [8:37] house oversight committee. You can see members of Congress. They're already coming into the [8:42] room and some of the survivors, I believe have already gathered here. I recognize some [8:45] of them, uh, from their brave testimony, uh, and their brave, uh, appearances up on Capitol [8:51] Hill fighting for that legislation, uh, that forced the release of the obscene files, a law that [8:56] was signed by Donald Trump. And by the way, a law that his administration is violating [9:00] right now because they've not released all of the obscene files. But in just a, in just [9:04] a few minutes, you're going to see this dais at the front of the city council chamber here [9:09] in West Palm beach. Uh, these members on the house oversight committee on the democratic side [9:14] will sit down, uh, chaired by Robert Garcia is not the chair, but he's the, he's the ranking [9:20] Democrat ranking member of the house oversight committee, but he'll be chairing this hearing [9:23] because he is the most senior member of the committee here. The Republicans are not having [9:28] this hearing. It's the Democrats, but this is really important guys, because I don't [9:33] Tara, correct me if I'm mistaken. I don't think that we've ever seen something like this before [9:37] where the survivors are speaking out at a hearing like this. Is that right? [9:42] No, they haven't had the opportunity to do this. I mean, they have, it's mostly just been [9:46] either in a courtroom or it's been in press conferences. I mean, they, I, I even thought about [9:52] the like imagery of the, the press conference outside of the Capitol. They're literally like [9:57] on the lawn. That was where Marjorie Taylor Greene was there. Yeah, exactly. The flyover [10:02] that drowned out their voices. Right, right, right, right. Like all these, uh, what, what kind [10:06] of jets were they? Those like, they were like, fighter jets, stealth bombers or something crazy [10:10] like that. Flying over, drowning them out. They're so far away from like the halls of power. They [10:15] haven't been invited in. They haven't been given the time that they deserve, you know? Um, and so that [10:21] is like, that, that, that to me is like very sympathetic and all of it. Hey, how are you? [10:27] Nice to see you. Lauren, Jim Acosta. Nice to see you. We're live on our Substack and YouTube [10:33] right now. This is, uh, Lauren Hirsch and doing great. Maybe I can ask you for a few seconds here [10:39] while I've got, this is all kind of fly by the seat of our pants here, but that's okay. Uh, Lauren, [10:45] tell us why this day is so impressive. Yeah, how are you? I'm so happy to see you. [10:49] You know, we're really looking forward to hearing from survivors. We want them to share their truths [10:54] so that we can make sure that the American public gets to truth, transparency, and ultimate injustice. [11:02] And we haven't had that up until. We haven't, but we're ready for it. And they're ready for it. [11:06] They're ready for this. And they haven't really as a group done something like this before. Is that [11:10] correct? They have not, they have spoken together a number of times, but this is really the first [11:19] opportunity that they've had to speak. And tell us your organization just so all the folks at home [11:25] can know about it. World without exploitation. We are the largest national anti-trafficking coalition [11:30] in the country. And we too are ready to get to the truth. Thank you. Everybody's ready to get to [11:35] the truth. It's been way too long. Well, thank you, Lauren. So guys, yeah, so we are getting very [11:42] close to the start of this hearing. Um, and it's been a little, you know, we're doing this as best [11:47] we can sort of in the moment and so on. Uh, but, uh, Lev Karnas is here too. Lev, how are you doing, [11:53] man? Good to see you, Jim. Uh, good to see you out here. Hold on for a second. Lev, why are you here? [11:58] Why is it so important that you're here? Well, it's important to stand up for the survivors for [12:02] women's rights. I mean, especially the way Trump has been abusing, uh, women constantly throughout [12:08] his years, but now even continuously with the women reporters, the way he attacks them. I think [12:12] it's the most important thing that we stand united behind these survivors and there has to be [12:17] accountability. There has to be justice once and for all. Yeah. All right. Well, Lev, thank you very much. [12:21] We're all going to watch here in just a few moments, but yeah. Uh, and Katie Fang is still [12:26] here. Katie, hold onto this little mic here. I know we're about to get going here, but, uh, [12:30] and forgive my camera work, everybody, but we're doing my vertically challenged. He's going to have [12:36] to work on his quads right now. I'll scooch down a little. I can use the, I can use all the help I [12:40] can get, but I mean, we're seeing some of the survivors start to gather in this room. This is [12:44] really important. I think it's also important to note that Virginia Giffre's brother and sister-in-law [12:49] are here and they're seated in the front and listen, they, they know that. Yes. Yes. And, [12:56] and, and, and for, for it to be in Palm beach, this was the real kind of beginning the epicenter [13:02] of, of really the abuse for, of Virginia. So for them to be here is incredibly powerful [13:07] as well, I believe. Yep. Yeah. The room's filling up. And we still don't know about, I mean, [13:12] this is where we're not very far, uh, Katie from where Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein used [13:17] to party together. That's right. You know, all that infamous footage of them at these [13:20] parties and at Mar-a-Lago where he's currently living right now. And Trump claimed he kicked [13:25] Jeffrey Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago because he was a creep. And then he, he claimed that [13:28] he kicked him out because he, Jeffrey Epstein was stealing his employees. And yet there is, [13:32] and yet there's emails by, in between Epstein and I believe it was Michael Wolf for him. [13:37] He disputed that claim that he had been kicked out of Mar-a-Lago from membership. So come on. [13:42] Right. And there's also, I mean, there's also the fact that he's mentioned in the Epstein files [13:47] 38,000 times. There's also that letter, that creepy letter that Trump claims he did not write, [13:53] which I don't understand how that's even possible. If it was in the Epstein estate, [13:57] uh, the birthday, the birthday letter, that's right. Like somebody traveled back in time and [14:02] fortunate or something like that never added up. So this is why all of this is so important is to [14:07] keep it in the forefront, to keep it on the front burner. Yeah. And I overheard Tara saying, [14:11] and it's true. We don't have mainstream legacy media covering this the way it should. If there [14:16] is an Achilles heel, ladies and gentlemen of Trump and this Republican party, it is the Epstein files. [14:21] And I don't understand why for all of the victims that are brave to come and those that are not here, [14:27] why we're not fighting for them. And I don't know why my mainstream media does not want to elevate [14:31] this and make this the center of the discourse, you know? Well, I think it's, and Katie, you and I [14:35] have talked about this. It's why independent media is so important because the corporate media, [14:39] the legacy media, they're running scared. They're afraid of their broadcast licenses getting taken [14:44] away. They're afraid of their access to Trump getting taken away. And so they don't want to, [14:48] they don't want to, you know, disturb the, uh, the delicate feathers of Donald Trump. [14:53] Yeah. They want, they want the access. It's the access journalism that they want. And we [14:56] understand that for mainstream media that has immense value. But for those of us that are here, [15:01] that are coming here on our own dime, like spending the time to be here, you know, when they're not [15:07] doing it, this is important for people to understand that we think that this is one of [15:12] the priorities, but we also cover the war and we cover the reconciliation bill and we cover [15:17] the atrocities of immigration enforcement. But we also think that this is one of the ones [15:23] that we need to keep in the spotlight constantly. Absolutely. Well, Katie, thanks for letting me [15:28] throw you on. Oh, it's all good for the moment. Appreciate it. But this looks like this hearing [15:32] is about to get started guys. Uh, stay right here. We're going to continue this live coverage [15:37] of the spotlight hearing held by the house oversight Democrats to focus a spotlight on [15:43] the Jeffrey Epstein survivors at a congressional hearing. This is technically a congressional [15:47] hearing. It is not a formal congressional hearing and that it's not being shared by the Republicans [15:52] who control the house of representatives, but this is a sneak preview of coming attractions. [15:56] Folks, if the Democrats win the house, these kinds of hearings will be held up on Capitol [16:02] Hill right now because the Democrats don't control the house. They have to come all the way here [16:05] to Florida and hold this in West Palm beach to do this the way that they are doing it right [16:11] now, which is in the field to hear from these survivors. But this is about, you can see some [16:16] of the members of Congress have taken their seats. Uh, you can see, uh, Congressman, uh, [16:21] Superman, um, of Virginia, Maxwell Frost of Florida, uh, uh, Congressman Christian [16:27] Worthy of Illinois. Um, my eyesight might be failing me, but I believe that's a Congresswoman [16:33] Summer Lee of Pennsylvania and others are starting. There's the chairman Robert Garcia, [16:38] the ranking member of the house oversight committee. And so when this gets started, [16:42] folks make no mistake. We are going to bring this to you live on the Jim Acosta show on all [16:48] of our platforms. So if you're watching on sub stack, thank you so much for being here. If you're on [16:53] YouTube, thank you so much for being here. Um, and we're going to continue to do this until the end [16:58] of this hearing. And like you were saying, this is going to be some powerful testimony. You are going [17:03] to hear from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Glenn Maxwell. Some of those survivors are sitting at the [17:09] witness table right now. And I'm just going to show you Lauren Hirsch, who I spoke with just a few [17:15] moments ago, one of the victims advocates, um, an attorney. I see one of the attorneys, uh, for the [17:21] survivors. He is there, um, as well. Um, and so this is, this is a really important moment, folks. [17:28] Um, there's a Congressman Walkinshaw of Virginia. He is a brand new congressman who's on the oversight [17:34] committee. All right. Sounds like Congressman Garcia is getting started. So let's take, uh, [17:42] It sounds like we're gonna get started here in just a few moments and let's take my seat. [17:46] So that's Congressman Garcia announcing that in about a minute, this, uh, oversight, uh, committee [17:53] hearing of the oversight Democrats, uh, is going to get underway. And, uh, we're going to keep the [18:00] camera live right now. Okay. The feed from the oversight Democrats is not up yet. So we're going [18:06] to keep this up, but we're going to show you the room and show you what this looks like. Forgive me [18:10] if I'm speaking in kind of a hushed tone here, but just to give you a sense of the room one more time [18:16] before we get started. It started to fill in. We've got members of the press. It looks like more [18:20] of the local press from the, uh, Miami, uh, West Palm Beach, South Florida area. There are some [18:28] folks from MSNOW. We see some of our friends from MSNOW are here to cover this very important hearing, [18:34] but this is, uh, obviously an extremely important moment in the saga of, uh, the Epstein files. [18:42] And we're now going to hear from survivors who are going to speak publicly about what they've [18:47] been through and why all of this is so important, why the files must be released. I'm going to stop [18:53] talking now. We're going to bring this to you live now. My understanding is that the feed is not up [19:28] yet, so we're going to keep this up as long as we can. Well, good morning, everyone. And I want to begin [19:35] by opening up this hearing. Of course, we're here in, uh, Palm Beach County. And Oversight Democrats are [19:43] here because we're launching a new phase of our Epstein investigation. Our committee, of course, [19:48] has been on this, uh, over the last year. Now, we're here, of course, in Palm Beach, of course, [19:55] just miles away from Mar-a-Lago, from key locations where this Epstein investigation has taken us, [20:01] because from the very beginning, we know that Florida has been a key place where so much of [20:07] the horrors and crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and William Maxwell happens. Jeffrey Epstein deserved to be heard, [20:15] and as a committee, we should always upload our stories, and I want to thank you, of course, [20:21] for being here today. We know that many of our witnesses today that you'll hear from were actually [20:27] failed by their own government. We will hear how the FBI ignored Maria Farmer's Courage Report in 1996. [20:35] We will hear how Alice Acosta, the future Secretary of State. [21:18] Well, good morning, everyone. And I want to begin by opening up this hearing. Of course, we're here in [21:25] Palm Beach County. And Oversight Democrats are here because we're launching a new phase [21:31] of our Epstein investigation. Our committee, of course, has been leading on this over the last [21:35] year. Now, we're here, of course, in Palm Beach, of course, just miles away from Mar-a-Lago, [21:42] from key locations where this Epstein investigation has taken us, because from the very beginning, [21:47] we know that Florida has been a key place where so much of the horrors and crimes of Jeffrey Epstein [21:55] and Ghislaine Maxwell have happened. The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein deserve to be heard. And as a [22:02] committee, we should always uplift their stories. And I want to thank them, of course, for being here [22:07] today. We know that many of our witnesses today that you'll hear from were actually failed by their [22:13] own government. We will hear how the FBI ignored Maria Farmer's Courageous Report in 1996. We will [22:21] hear how Alex Acosta, the future Secretary of Labor at the time, overruled some of his own [22:27] prosecutors and worked with Epstein's attorneys to grant a sweetheart deal which allowed Epstein to [22:33] continue assaulting women. We will learn how Epstein continued to game the system and the law to prey [22:40] on women expanding his trafficking network overseas. And we will hear from people who have fought hard [22:47] to bring him to justice. We're also going to hear about a continued cover-up, which is harm [22:54] survivors, how some have been doxxed or put into danger, ignored, revictimized, and betrayed by this [23:02] government. These stories are both horrific and outrageous. But they should also inspire us to keep [23:10] fighting for the full truth. We're here because every American deserves equal justice. It doesn't matter who [23:18] you are, how powerful you are, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, how much wealth you may [23:25] have. If you hurt women and girls, you will be held accountable. We should also be very clear that Epstein [23:33] was not alone. Others enabled him. We know he was surrounded by lawyers, accountants, private investigators, [23:42] and assistants. Many of those people who have been forced to testify for the first time because of our [23:48] investigation have given us key information, whether it's been through depositions or interviews. But [23:55] some, even some that we've recently spoken with, were never contacted by law enforcement in the 30 years [24:04] since Maria Farmer's first report. Why is it only now that we have begun these interviews, these [24:12] depositions, that folks are being contacted for the first time in decades? And that should [24:21] outrage every single American. Some of these men enabled financial crimes. Others fought to hide [24:31] facts about this case and to deny justice and closure for survivors. All of these people need to be [24:38] called out and held accountable. And these are failures of multiple governments and administrations. [24:45] Regardless of party, everyone has failed, the public, and certainly everyone has failed [24:54] their survivors, especially those that sought justice and that had the ability and courage to file reports. [25:02] Because we also know that so many others didn't have that opportunity or the support to do so. [25:09] This is why we're here today. Now, before I introduce our witnesses, I want to briefly [25:16] just mention a few things about the investigation. Now, Oversight Democrats launched our investigation [25:22] when we forced a subpoena for the full unredacted files from the Department of Justice last year. [25:28] And I especially want to thank Representative Summer Lee for her leadership to get that actual done. [25:34] So thank you, Congresswoman. To this day, the Department of Justice continues to break the law [25:43] and defy that subpoena. It's not just about the Transparency Act, which is so critical to moving this [25:50] debate and the truth forward. But that subpoena and the defiance pushed us then, of course, including [25:57] with leadership from Congressman Ro Khanna, to get the Epstein Files Transparency Act through the Congress. [26:03] But let's be very clear. The DOJ continues to withhold half. Half of the Epstein files have not been [26:13] released to the public. Now, we've heard testimony from Alex Acosta, former Attorneys General Bill Barr, [26:20] Les Wexner, Darren Indyke, Richard Kahn, folks that are key to the Epstein investigation. We've heard [26:27] from former President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just last week. [26:33] And we have talked, of course, to survivors, witnesses and whistleblowers. And we have brought [26:37] critical documents to light from Jeffrey Epstein's estates, emails, photographs, videos. We secured bank [26:45] records, documents. And we've done all this without formal committee subpoena power to properly conduct [26:54] this investigation. But we're undeterred, and we're going to continue to fight until they get the truth. [27:02] Today, we're also, Oversight Democrats are also publishing a new report. Now, this report uses [27:07] evidence obtained by our investigation, including, and most importantly, bank records that show how Alex [27:13] Acosta's sweetheart deal let Epstein build a global network using enablers to bring in women who he [27:20] could then exploit and abuse. And this report is just the beginning of numerous reports and information [27:29] that we intend to put out over the course of the months ahead. This hearing is about making one thing [27:35] clear, and that is that no one is above the law. Survivors matter, and this committee will continue [27:41] to demand transparency. Before I turn this over to our colleagues, I want to thank [27:46] Congresswoman Lois Frankel, who has been critical in this fight for many years. [27:51] Congresswoman Frankel, of course, represents the community that we're in now. I want to thank [28:04] her for hosting us. I also want to thank particularly West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James, their staff, [28:10] the county, West Palm Beach PD, all for their assistance today. And I want to recognize [28:14] Congresswoman Frankel for a few brief remarks. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And welcome, [28:19] everybody, to West Palm Beach. And we're gathered here in a chamber that's very near and dear to me, [28:25] because I was mayor here for eight years, and I've had the honor of serving this. And I'm very proud to [28:31] be with my Democratic colleagues of the House Oversight Committee, of course, the various witnesses, [28:37] and most importantly, the survivors whose courage and perseverance made this hearing possible. And to the [28:45] survivors, I want to say, and I know I say this to everyone here, thank you. Thank you for your [28:50] strength. Thank you for your resilience. And thank you for your determination to tell the truth, [28:56] even when the system failed you. This hearing is long overdue. Myself and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, [29:03] we have been asking for a hearing for many years here for many reasons I won't go into. But we're here today [29:11] because it is right here, folks, right here in Palm Beach County, more than 20 years ago, [29:18] that the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's horrific crimes were first denied justice with devastating [29:25] results. In 2005, the Palm Beach Police Department, led by then Chief Michael Ryder, I'm giving him a shout [29:33] out, a good guy. He uncovered a deeply disturbing pattern of predatory sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein [29:42] and his associates, targeting women, of course, and young girls. Many recruited from our local high [29:49] schools right here in Palm Beach County. The police did their job. They listened to the survivors. [29:55] They built a serious case. Then they brought it to then State Attorney Barry Krischer. I call his name [30:01] because his succeeding prosecutors are not involved. But instead of filing charges, [30:09] was it overwhelmed by the power, by the wealth? He sent the case to a grand jury where prosecutors [30:18] shockingly minimized the abuse, limited the witnesses, and treated vulnerable young girls [30:24] as if they were criminals. And you can read that grand jury testimony yourself. At the urging of [30:32] Krischer's prosecutors, the grand jury returned just one count against Epstein, and it is jaw-dropping [30:39] solicitation of prostitution, punishable by up to 60 days in jail. How crazy and wrong, [30:49] an abomination, if you ask me. Disappointed and alarmed, Chief Ryder took the case to federal [30:56] authorities. And what followed was more shock and awe to the justice system. In 2008, as we've heard, [31:03] Acosta approved the secret, shameful, non-prosecution deal without notifying the survivors, [31:09] and then sent the case back to Palm Beach County. Epstein was allowed to plead guilty to solicitation of [31:14] prostitution, solicitation for a minor for prostitution. Really? That was that? And then he got an 18-month sentence, [31:24] which he served about 13 months, federal immunity from prosecution here in South Florida, immunity [31:32] for unnamed co-conspirators, and work relief privileges. Listen to this, he had work relief [31:40] privileges that allowed him to leave the jail each day to continue his systematic [31:47] sexual exploitation of women and girls. And the most troubling also, a deal was hidden from the [31:54] public. And the full extent didn't come to light until reporting from the Miami Herald and the Palm [32:00] Beach Post, who brought the fight to bring the grand jury records into the open. Justice was denied [32:06] without explanation. And listen, I'm hoping as we move forward, these local prosecutors must be [32:13] subpoenaed, and they must be questioned under oath, because they think they know the secret. So these [32:23] survivors were abused first by a predator and then failed by a justice system that too often protected [32:28] wealth and power over vulnerable women and children. And let's be clear, folks, had prosecutors in [32:35] Florida done their jobs, most likely hundreds of young women might have been spared unimaginable harm. [32:42] So we're here again, we're going to continue to ask the questions, questions that should have been answered [32:47] years ago. Why was just Jeffrey Epstein, a serial predator who uses wealth and influence to exploit [32:54] underage girls, given little more than a slap of the wrist? Who else should be held accountable? [33:03] And what must we continue to do to make sure this never happens again? We owe the survivors and the [33:10] public the answers and more. And with that, I thank you and I yield back. Thank you. Thank you, [33:17] Congresswoman. We're going to, of course, hear some opening testimony from survivors and advocates [33:23] who will speak about the failure of our justice system to protect them, others, and certainly to hold [33:29] Epstein and so many others accountable. I want to, they're going to each provide some opening remarks. [33:33] I do want to introduce them briefly. We're going to hear from Danny Bensky, who is an advocate, [33:40] dance, teaching artist, choreographer, and Epstein survivor. As an educator of the arts, [33:45] Danny's advocacy derives from creating a safer world for her students and future generations. [33:51] She is a public speaker and hopes that by sharing her story, we can get an insight perspective into [33:56] grooming and how abuse can happen and how systems fail people. Danny was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in 2004 [34:05] and 2005 when she was just 17 years old and working as a dancer in New York City. She has since spoken out [34:13] about the government's handling of the case and has pursued legal action. Of course, the amount of [34:19] courage is incredible and I want to thank, of course, Danny for being here. We'll also hear from Rosa. [34:26] Rosa is testifying under her first name and under that name only just for her own safety. She was [34:33] recruited in Uzbekistan by a modeling agent, co-conspirator, and brought to the U.S. with promises of a career. [34:40] She met Jeffrey Epstein in 2009 and was abused over several years. With her immigration status used to [34:48] keep her from leaving, Rosa is a fighter, a coach, a wife, and a stepmother. And her courage, of course, [34:59] is immense and we want to thank Rosa for being here. We're going to hear from Courtney Wilde, [35:06] who was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in Palm Beach beginning at the age of 14. Courtney is a mom, [35:13] advocate, and survivor. She later brought a lawsuit against the federal government [35:19] over the non-prosecution agreement that allowed Epstein to avoid federal charges. And she will [35:25] speak about its lasting impact on survivors. We're also going to hear from Jenna Lisa Jones, [35:33] who was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in Florida when she was 14 years old. She has spoken publicly about [35:40] her experience and about her disappointment with the failure to fully release information related [35:46] to this case. She is a mom, a wife, and a founding survivor of Survivors, Inc. We're going to also [35:53] hear from Spencer Coven, who is an attorney who represented some of the earliest survivors to [35:58] come forward against Epstein. And he spent years advocating on behalf of victims. He will speak [36:04] about the failures in the original prosecution and the impact those failures have had on survivors. [36:09] We'll also hear from Lauren Hirsch, who's a former prosecutor and an advocate working [36:15] to combat trafficking and exploitation. She will discuss the ongoing efforts by survivors and [36:20] advocates to seek accountability and justice. We will also hear from Maria Farmer by video, [36:27] who is the first person to report Jeffrey Epstein's abuse to authorities in 1996. She'll be providing [36:34] video testimony. Finally, Sky and Amanda Roberts are here. We all, of course, know their incredible [36:42] courage and they'll be reading a brief statement as well. We will continue, of course, to honor [36:48] Virginia's memory, her legacy, and her tireless fight for justice. I want to especially thank the [36:55] witnesses for being here and for your enormous courage. You are doing, obviously, a service not just to [37:04] all of the women and girls that have suffered, but to every single American woman and American girl in this [37:14] country who need to be believed and who need to know that when they report a horror against them that [37:22] their government is going to believe them and is going to stand up for them. And so thank you for [37:27] your courage today. And now we're going to hear a video that Maria Farmer wanted to, she wanted folks [37:37] to hear about, and so we're going to go ahead and play that. My name is Maria Farmer. I am the whistleblower [37:45] who reported Jeffrey Epstein, Gilan Maxwell, Les Wexner, and others to the FBI 30 years ago in 1996. [37:53] Today, I apologize for my appearance. I was not well enough to attend this hearing in person [37:59] and have recently been released from the hospital. That's the result of 30 years of fighting. For three [38:06] decades, I've carried a weight that no survivor should ever have to bear. I reported what I believed [38:11] were heinous crimes against children, and these individuals responsible were involved in an [38:16] international pedophile ring. I reported their crimes in real time, and the government continues [38:21] to ignore me to this day. In 1996, I reported Epstein and his co-conspirators to my local New York City [38:29] 6th precinct. The commanding officer told me local police could only address the local arson crimes, [38:35] and he instructed me to immediately report a whole story spanning several states to the FBI. He told [38:41] me that it was vitally important that I tell the whole story to the FBI, which I did. The FBI asked me [38:47] questions, said they were familiar with some of the perpetrators I identified, and gave me every reason [38:51] to believe they would respond. That failure, that single moment when law enforcement refused to take action, [38:58] set off a cascade of injustice and grave repercussions to my sisters, my family, and so many others, and to [39:05] me personally, including my health and well-being. The FBI's decades of failure and inaction led to [39:12] countless more girls and young women suffering abuse and trauma that could have been prevented. Individuals [39:18] like Virginia Giffray, Unushka DiGiorgio, Shantae Davies, Marika Chartone, Danny Bensky, Jenna Lisa Jones, [39:28] Ashley Rubright, and Jennifer Rose, among others. Each survivor represents a life change forever, [39:35] suffering that could have been spared if the FBI had done their job in 1996. The failures did not stop [39:43] there. In 2006, the FBI tracked me down, stating that they searched for me because they knew I had [39:49] reported Epstein 10 years earlier, and no one else had. They urged me to testify in a federal criminal [39:55] trial against Epstein and his co-conspirators, and they promised that they would get him this time. [40:01] I trusted them again, relied upon them again, and they betrayed me again. Rather than following [40:07] through with their promises, the government offered Epstein a sweetheart deal and shielded powerful [40:11] individuals from accountability, and they persist in granting special treatment to certain people to [40:17] this day. I have received death threats from Maxwell and her associates, including one instance where [40:22] they threatened to burn my apartment down. And those threats have not stopped. I have been subjected [40:29] to more than three decades of ongoing harassment, vicious challenges to my truthfulness, and real danger [40:38] from internet instigators, trolls, and more. Meanwhile, my numerous efforts to obtain my 1996 report [40:47] from the FBI had been rejected time and again. In 2023, I wrote a letter to the government asking for [40:53] an investigation of the government's actions or inactions in response to my 1996 reports. [41:00] The Inspector General replied, saying they were busy with other things, would get back to me, and they [41:04] never did. I sent multiple FOIA requests for my FBI report records. In January 2025, in response to my most recent [41:13] request, the government said that they would give back to me in November of 2027, a delay of three [41:20] years. I finally received a letter saying they looked at my complaint, took some kind of action, and the [41:25] matter was addressed. But what they did was a secret. With no other choice, I filed an administrative claim [41:33] against the government, and then a lawsuit. Since then, virtually nothing has happened, and I'm left waiting and [41:39] wondering what is next. With the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act after years of efforts [41:45] to get my records, an FD-71 form was released for the first time, confirming just a small part of my 1996 [41:54] whistleblower report and vindicating some of what I had said for years. However, the full extent of what I [42:01] told the FBI was not in that document, so the release of the Epstein files provides only partial relief for me. [42:08] Where is the evidence I provided of my sexual assault and that of my sister Annie? Why won't the FBI [42:16] release my full report? The failures of those sworn to protect us have overwhelmed me. Doing my civic [42:24] duty has caused me dearly. The stress of this trauma, the government hiding and refusing to turn over [42:30] written confirmation of my 1996 report, along with the ongoing harassment and death threats, have contributed [42:36] to me, developing serious health issues, including Hodgkin's lymphoma, a brain tumor, and recently [42:44] Addison's disease. In the last month, I have spent 23 nights in hospitals, including multiple nights in [42:52] the ICU. Along with my health, it has robbed me of my career. In 1996, I was fresh out of graduate [42:59] school and living a life that I had always dreamed, creating and selling art in New York City. When I was [43:06] assaulted, threatened, held captive, my career was halted, and the trajectory of my life was thrown [43:12] off course. So many others had their dreams shattered by these crimes, and they could have been prevented. [43:18] Individuals like Virginia Giffray, who is the backbone of this case and remains the inspiration behind [43:23] this fight, she's the reason my sister and I came forward publicly, so we could stand together. She faced [43:30] also relentless attacks to her credibility online, yet she fought. While Virginia may no longer be [43:37] physically beside us, she's been our shining star and guiding light and remains so today. The rest of [43:42] humanity owes it to her legacy to continue this quest. We are still walking down the trail that Virginia [43:48] blazed for us, so let me be direct about what we need. The federal government owes us explanations, [43:56] accountability for injuries caused, and a promise of systemic change when crimes against children are [44:01] reported. Accountability should start with the government's acknowledgement and responsibility [44:07] for their repeated failures to act in response to my 1996 report. The government needs to take [44:13] responsibility for endangering and injuring girls and young women. The government needs to start telling [44:19] the truth, face my lawsuits, and be held to account to me and to all others who have been harmed. Had the FBI [44:27] done their job, 30 years of child sex abuse and trauma could have been avoided. I want my full FBI file, [44:36] including the 96 and 2006 reports, including my art. We also need the FBI and the Department of Justice [44:46] to fully investigate every lead in this case. We need investigation and prosecution of everyone [44:51] responsible, both men and women. This includes the officials who enabled the 2008 sweetheart deal, [44:58] the other perpetrators and the many co-conspirators, and anyone who is currently shielding powerful [45:04] individuals from justice. No more protection for the guilty. There must be no pardoning or [45:10] commuting the sentence of Maxwell, who sexually abused me, my minor sister, hurt so many girls and other [45:17] young women, and personally threatened to kill me. Has shown no remorse and has demonstrated no basis on [45:25] which to believe she would ever be truthful. As the Epstein case whistleblower, I have waited three [45:32] decades for justice. It's a miracle I'm still fighting, especially considering what the stress [45:38] of three decades of this case has done to my health and well-being. I will keep fighting for justice and [45:43] transparency for a better, safer future for the next generation. Thank you. Well, thank you. And [45:51] obviously, I know we don't often get to hear from Ms. Farmer, and we're just very grateful that she [45:58] chose to address, obviously, us and the country. I also want to thank her sister, Annie Farmer, [46:03] who has been an incredible advocate or survivor, of course, herself, and has really worked to share [46:10] her sister's story and her own story whenever possible. We're going to hear some opening remarks [46:16] also from Skye and Amanda Roberts, and so I would ask them to join us here at the podium, [46:23] and I want to thank them also for their courage and for being here. Thank you, [46:36] Representative Garcia and all members here today. We deeply appreciate the opportunity to be here. [46:42] Obviously, wish Virginia was here to do this herself, but I will do my best to keep it together [46:48] and to get through this. My name is Skye Roberts, and I am the younger brother of Virginia Roberts [46:54] Giuffre. I'm here today because without Virginia's courage and her story, we would not be having this [47:00] conversation about accountability. In the summer of 2000, just steps away from this courtroom at Mar-a-Lago, [47:09] Virginia was recruited by convicted trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. She was only 16 years old, [47:17] a child who had just finished 10th grade when she began being trafficked. Before her passing, [47:23] Virginia gave sworn testimony, exposing this for what it truly was, a global sex trafficking operation, [47:31] enabled, protected, and funded by powerful people. For years, survivors have been asked the same [47:38] question. Who were the names? The truth is, many survivors stay silent because many of these [47:45] individuals still hold power, wealth, and influence in our society. Point blank period. That is dangerous. [47:55] No survivor should have to risk their own safety just to be believed. But Virginia, she did it anyway. [48:04] She stood up when others were afraid, told the truth under oath, and faced people she knew were [48:11] powerful. Today, we lean on her courage once again because she believed accountability should reach [48:18] everyone involved, no matter their status or influence. If Virginia were here today, she would say [48:25] these words herself. Since she cannot, I will say them for her as her little brother. And with that, [48:39] I'd like to share Virginia's own words from her sworn deposition dated May 3rd, 2016. [48:51] They trafficked me to many people. Okay, please name a person that Ghislaine Maxwell directed you to have [48:58] sex with. Prince Andrew. Okay, who else? As a whole, they both trafficked me to many people. Okay, [49:12] so can you please tell me when Ghislaine Maxwell asked you to have sex with another person? [49:17] Glenn Dubin. Who else? Well, Redacted is another one. Ghislaine Maxwell asked you to have sex with [49:26] Redacted? And Glenn Dubin and Steve Kaufman were, like I said, the first people I was sent to after my [49:37] training. And where does Alan Dershowitz fit into this group of people? Same. I can't tell you piece by [49:46] piece by piece who I know Glenn Dubin was first. Okay, and I know Stephen Kaufman was the one of [49:53] the first that I was sent to. Alan Dershowitz could have been between there, between, sorry, [49:58] between Glenn and Stephen. This is only a small sample of the thousands of stories that still remain [50:08] untold. But the question today is no longer whether names exist. The question is, what will Congress and [50:15] the Department of Justice do about it? Even if only a handful of names are publicly known, [50:22] will there finally be investigations and accountability? With that, I'd like to turn it [50:27] over to my wife, Amanda Roberts. First, I want to thank this committee and Representative Garcia and [50:37] everyone here who continues to fight with us for accountability, but most importantly standing with [50:43] the survivors. Virginia's story was harrowing. And as you heard my husband speak, she wasn't afraid to [50:50] say the names. We are talking about millions of files, sworn testimony, depositions, emails, flight [50:58] records, bank records, photographs, videos, and evidence collected over decades. Evidence that points [51:04] to a network, not just two people who trafficked and abused over 1,200 victims, girls, children, women, [51:15] and boys. Epstein and Maxwell did not act alone, and Palm Beach was the blueprint. It was the center for [51:24] expansion. So when this Department of Justice says there is nothing to see here, survivors know exactly [51:31] what that sounds like, a cover-up. Virginia wrote in Nobody's Girl, don't be fooled by those in Epstein's circle [51:39] who said they didn't know what Epstein was doing. That sentence should guide this committee's work. [51:47] Because I don't recall is not enough. When people like Les Wexner are asked about Epstein's finances [51:54] and alleged connections to his network, the public deserves real answers and investigations. When [52:01] Howard Lutnick has given changing accounts about his association with Epstein, that deserves scrutiny, [52:07] resignations, and investigations. When former Prince Andrew denied knowing Virginia, despite evidence [52:15] and testimony surrounding that encounter, that deserves scrutiny and investigation. And when Acting [52:22] Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Galay Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker accused of perjury, [52:30] and shortly after was moved to a minimum security prison, that demands answers and investigations. [52:38] So today we ask for four things. First, Congress must hold this Department of Justice accountable, [52:44] including contempt proceedings as the record has shown that this DOJ has violated the law. Second, [52:51] state investigations must continue and expand in New Mexico, New York, Florida, the Virgin Islands, [52:58] and everywhere this network operated. Third, this committee must issue further subpoenas and required [53:06] alleged co-conspirators, enablers, financers, and witnesses to testify under oath. Fourth, follow the [53:16] money. Financial records are not secondary. They may be the key to exposing the full network. Suspicious payments, [53:24] shell entities, possible tax violations, money laundering, and transactions connected to trafficking and abuse [53:31] must be investigated aggressively, because financial crimes can open the door and lead to real prosecutions. [53:39] And finally, the Epstein and Maxwell investigations must be reopened, not partially, not quietly, but fully. [53:48] Survivors and the public deserve the truth, and enablers must no longer hide behind wealth, power, or silence. Thank you. [53:56] Thank you. Thank you both very much for those words. We are going to begin and hear some opening [54:07] statements from our witnesses. So I want to just start by thanking Ms. Wild, who's going to be recognized [54:14] now for her opening five-minute statement. Ms. Wild. Hello, my name is Courtney Wild. When I was 14 years [54:25] old, I was abused by Jeffrey Epstein. He abused me until I was 17 years old. What happened to me was terrible, [54:32] but what happened after that by our own government changed my life just as much. I came here today to [54:39] ask for one simple thing, to make sure this never happens again. I filed a case under the Crime Victims [54:46] Rights Act because government secretly made a deal with Jeffrey Epstein. They signed a non-prosecution [54:53] agreement. They made the deal behind closed doors. They never told me, and they never told any of us. [54:59] Instead, they sent letters telling me to be patient, even though they knew the case was already over. [55:06] For years, I believed there was an investigation happening. There wasn't. When I found out the truth, [55:13] I went to my lawyer, Brad Edwards. He took my case in 2008, and he fought for me against the government [55:20] for over a decade. We wanted to do the right thing for all victims. Together, we wanted answers to a simple [55:29] question. How could this happen? We had to fight all the way to the 11th circuit, which took years to get [55:35] the emails between the government and Jeffrey's lawyers to help us understand what happened. [55:41] When we finally got them, they showed something I will never forget. The government wasn't trying [55:48] to negotiate with Epstein's lawyers. It looked like the government was trying to make him happy. [55:53] They were trying to make sure that the punishment they were going to give him [55:57] was okay with him. It seemed like they had forgotten that there were 40 of us kids who had been [56:07] abused by him. I was so confused because where I come from, if you commit a crime, you go to jail. [56:15] I have never heard the feds of letting you help them decide which crimes they're going to charge you [56:21] with or if you're cool with how long you're going to spend in jail. But I thought, what do I know? [56:27] I don't know. Maybe that's how it works for rich guys. That's how it did work for Jeffrey Epstein. [56:34] Finally, after 10 years of fighting in 2019, a federal judge finally ruled that my rights [56:40] and that the rights of other victims were violated by the non-prosecution agreement. [56:47] But there was nothing that could be done about it. There was no remedy. I just want to say it again. [56:56] I'm sorry. I have to. The court found that the government violated the law and nothing happened. [57:04] That means the law, the Crime Victims Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. 3771 does not matter. And if the law has no [57:15] consequences, it doesn't protect anybody. I was lucky to have a lawyer willing to fight for me for almost [57:22] a decade. A lot of victims won't find that, especially in this case where everybody made [57:28] us feel like we were crazy. So I'm asking you to fix that. Please fix the Crime Victims Rights Act [57:36] so it could actually help victims in the future. I have my own ideas and my lawyers have more ideas, [57:43] but I really hope that if nothing comes with this, we can finally get the legislation right. [57:50] There needs to be a clear definition of what it means to meaningly confer with victims. I'm still [57:58] not sure what that actually means, but I know it never happened for me. There must be real consequences [58:05] and penalties in the statute that apply automatically when a court determines that a victim's rights have [58:11] been violated. The answer after years and years of litigation cannot be nothing happens when you [58:18] finally win and prove that your rights have been violated. If prosecutors choose to ignore victims, [58:25] those victims' voices must be put on the record, memorialized and preserved, especially when a deal [58:32] is made behind closed doors. There needs to be attorneys' fees provisions so victims can find lawyers who [58:39] will stand up for them. If those changes had existed back then, maybe what had happened to me and so many [58:46] others would have not happened. My case against the government for violating the rights of at least [58:52] 40 of us Palm Beach kids was happening from 2008 to 2019. Do you know how many other girls Jeffrey [59:01] abused in that time period? I bet the FBI knows. But the point is that Epstein continued to abuse other [59:10] girls in New York, New Mexico, around the world, and even still here in Florida after he was released [59:17] in 2009 and everybody knew it. There were lawsuits. There were so many new articles. He was a registered [59:26] sex offender and still nothing was done by the government. Not until 2019 when he was finally [59:32] arrested. None of those girls should have ever been abused. Jeffrey Epstein should have been in jail. [59:40] If he had been in jail like any other man who did the same thing as him, he would have been and there [59:47] wouldn't have been a single victim after 2009. But he wasn't and he did. He abused so many girls after [59:54] 2009 at the same exact time that I was asking the government why he got the deal and why they violated [1:00:01] my rights. That is the real injustice here. That is the real thing we need to prevent from ever [1:00:09] happening again in this country. I was there for his bail hearing in 2019 and I spoke to the judge [1:00:19] right in front of him about how dangerous he was. The bail was denied and for the first time I thought [1:00:25] we might finally get justice. A month later he was dead. Once again the system failed us. Someone let him [1:00:33] die in a secure prison ensuring that he would never be held accountable for what he did to me as a kid. [1:00:40] Since then there have been prosecutions, there have been civil cases, there have been settlements, [1:00:46] but none of that changes what was lost and none of that fixes what was allowed to happen in the first [1:00:52] place. We fought for years to get Jeffrey Epstein arrested. We fought to hold people accountable. [1:00:58] We did not fight so that this could turn into something political or so that our rights would be [1:01:06] violated once again. I lost years of my life fighting this and so did many others. We did that [1:01:13] so the next victim wouldn't have to. So don't let this work be in vain. Make the Crime Victims Rights Act [1:01:23] matter. Thank you so much. Thank you very much, Ms. Wilde. Ms. Jones, you are now recognized for your [1:01:33] opening statement. Ranking member and members of Congress, my name is Jenna Lisa Jones. I was 14 years old when I [1:01:41] was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in Palm Beach. It has taken me many years to find my voice. For a long [1:01:48] time, I stayed silent because I was afraid and because I did not understand why this happened to [1:01:53] me. When I finally came forward, I made a commitment to use my voice responsibly. I'm here today to do [1:02:00] exactly that. Last September, I went to Washington DC along the other survivors with a simple request, [1:02:07] transparency and accountability. We asked you to help us understand how Jeffrey Epstein was given a [1:02:14] non-prosecution agreement, even though the government had evidence that he had sexually abused dozens of [1:02:20] children, including me. We asked how he was allowed to leave jail in 2009 and continue harming young girls. [1:02:29] We asked for answers, answers that would hold our government accountable for its actions. We still do not have [1:02:36] those answers. Instead, what we received caused harm all over again, including too many of our survivor [1:02:44] sisters who had never come forward before and who never wanted their names or abuse to become public. [1:02:51] The Department of Justice released documents that exposed our names, our social security numbers, [1:02:58] and deeply personal information. Survivors' identities were made public. Husbands learned about [1:03:05] their wives' abuse for the first time. Children learned about the abuse of their mothers from reporters, [1:03:15] from strangers on the internet, and in some cases from other kids at school. Some survivors learned [1:03:25] that friends had also been abused only because they saw their names in those documents. Others saw the [1:03:37] most intimate details of the most intimate details of their own trauma publicly exposed. Our privacy was [1:03:45] violated. The government promised us over and over again that our information would be protected and [1:03:55] properly redacted. Those promises were broken again. We came to you seeking answers for why our rights were [1:04:06] violated in 2007. And in the process of asking for those answers, our rights were violated again. I want [1:04:15] to believe that each of you in this room is listening because you truly care, not just about us, but about [1:04:21] every child in this country who survived sexual abuse. If Congress and the Department of Justice truly want to do [1:04:30] right by the survivors. The path forward is not complicated. Acknowledge the failures. When Jeffrey Epstein [1:04:37] was set free in 2009 and again when our privacy was shattered earlier this year. Take responsibility and [1:04:44] provide meaningful remedies to the women who have been harmed over and over again. Please do not force us to [1:04:53] relive this through more litigation. Pass a law requiring the Department of Justice to compensate victims [1:04:59] for the harm that they had caused by releasing the names and information. That would show that this is [1:05:04] truly about helping victims. Second, with respect to our ongoing investigations, please remember this. [1:05:12] Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison. Do not pardon Maxwell. If there are other men [1:05:23] who hurt women, hold them accountable. But please leave the survivors alone. If you subpoenaed someone to [1:05:31] testify before your committees and she tells you she is a victim, listen to her. Believe her. Respect her [1:05:38] trauma. Jeffrey tried to paint his victims as bad guys to avoid responsibility for himself. Please learn [1:05:47] and understand that. Sharing our stories should be a choice. The choice I was able to make today. It should [1:05:52] never be something survivors are forced to do. The girls who were groomed by Ghislaine Maxwell and abused by [1:05:58] Jeffrey Epstein should not be treated like criminals. Please learn the stories of the women who have been [1:06:04] harmed before you force them to testify in a room full of strangers about the worst moments of their [1:06:09] lives. Jeffrey Epstein destroyed so many of our lives and Ghislaine Maxwell helped him do it. Do not blame [1:06:16] their survivors for the crimes of the abusers. That is not how the story should end. Find a way to bring [1:06:21] closure to the story of Jeffrey Epstein to allow survivors and this country to finally begin to move forward so [1:06:27] that one day, and I pray soon, Jeffrey Epstein's name is no longer something we are forced to hear every [1:06:34] single day. And my last point, I'm not here today only to talk about the past. I am here for the [1:06:41] children who are sitting in the classroom today. Children who may be vulnerable, confused, and unsure of [1:06:47] what is happening to them. When I was a teenager, I did not have the language to understand what was [1:06:52] happening to me. I did not know who to tell. I did not know where to go. Many of us didn't. We were young [1:06:59] and we were manipulated. We were left without the tools or the support we needed. That is something [1:07:04] Congress can change. Every middle school and high school student in this country should receive [1:07:10] education on the signs of sexual abuse and exploitation. What it looks like, how to recognize it, [1:07:17] and how to safely report it. Schools should have trained adults accessible resources so that no [1:07:24] child feels as lost or as alone as we did. I have worked with other survivors to start a non-profit [1:07:30] called the Survivors Inc. because not everyone who has been abused has access to strong legal [1:07:38] representation, therapy, or support systems. I became a certified life coach. I believe in giving [1:07:44] others the support I wish I had. Though the survivors, we are able to provide these services [1:07:51] to people who have been abused so they can begin their healing journey too. I'm proud of that work, [1:07:58] but individual efforts are not enough. Real change requires leadership at a national level. [1:08:03] You have the power to make sure that happens to us does not happen again on this scale. I believe [1:08:10] one of the most important places to begin is in our schools. Train teachers, educate students, [1:08:15] give children a place to turn when they feel they have nowhere else to go. Together we can do better [1:08:20] for the next generation. Thank you so much, Jones. Ms. Benski, you are now recognized for your [1:08:33] opening statement. Thank you. Thank you. Hello, my name is Dani Benski. I was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in 2004 [1:08:43] and 2005. That was eight years after Maria Farmer first reported Jeffrey to the FBI. Although discussing my [1:08:53] abuse is far from easy, I live with diagnosed PTSD from that experience. My story is actually one of [1:09:01] the safest stories to tell. The key abuser who caused me physical harm is dead. It's imperative to understand [1:09:09] that the stories you are hearing today are a tiny fraction of the whole. I am one of more than 1200 [1:09:16] girls and women. I don't face the same level of threats of defamation lawsuits and serious risks to [1:09:22] my safety as some of my survivor sisters do. While there are co-conspirators who do need to be held [1:09:31] accountable for the parts that they played in the operation of my own abuse, I was trafficked only to [1:09:37] Jeffrey, which really unfortunately is not the case for so many others. I was groomed prior to meeting [1:09:45] Jeffrey. I grew up in the dance world where perfectionism, body image issues ran rampant [1:09:51] in a world that was built on hierarchy and secrecy. I would have my body criticized, critiqued, [1:09:59] and manipulated, not so different from what I initially experienced with Jeffrey. I was trafficked to [1:10:07] Jeffrey. I had two recruiters. One was a late teen and the other was only 15 years old just trying to escape [1:10:15] her own abuse. Jeffrey weaponized my aspirations and dreams by speaking the language of dance and [1:10:22] making false promises. My mom had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I had seen the name Epstein [1:10:28] listed on a donor wall and believed that his wealth and power had come from the medical profession. [1:10:35] I brought him her scans hoping to understand her diagnosis. Instead of helping her, he used my mother's [1:10:43] brain scans over me, giving me an ultimatum. Either recruit more girls or do more for him. I didn't [1:10:51] end up recruiting anyone and instead just endured the abuse. In May of 2005, my mother had a successful [1:10:59] operation at Mount Sinai to remove the tumor and I finally extricated myself from Jeffrey's web. The Epstein [1:11:08] case demonstrates that institutional systems have failed survivors time and time again. I was first [1:11:16] subpoenaed in 2008 for an interview. I was just 20 years old and without a victim's rights advocate or a [1:11:24] lawyer, I didn't know that I was entitled to those protections. No one told me I was safe and for many [1:11:30] parts of my interview, it felt like an interrogation. Jeffrey had already threatened my friend and he had told [1:11:37] me that I would be charged with prostitution if I ever interacted with law enforcement. He made it clear [1:11:44] that he held the cards. The passage of the Epstein files transparency act was a moment in which survivors [1:11:53] hoped and believed that we might see some reckoning, but the system yet again failed survivors. Before the [1:12:02] first document dump by the DOJ, my lawyer teamed up with another law firm representing survivors. Together, [1:12:11] they submitted 350 victims' names to the DOJ as names that needed to be redacted prior to the deadline [1:12:21] on December 19th. In the first round of documents, I saw my name in two places. Then in the January dump, [1:12:28] there were more and the redactions were far, far, far worse. These files displayed my name, my phone number, [1:12:36] my old address, where I worked at the time, where I was studying, and other identifying information. What's important [1:12:44] to understand is that these documents weren't just somehow overlooked and not redacted at all. On one document, my [1:12:52] nickname, Danny, redacted while Danielle Hanabensky is left completely unredacted. I am just one of the [1:13:01] hundreds of survivors exposed like this. A few weeks ago, a legal analyst reached out to share that yet [1:13:08] again, my name appeared in a third batch of only 20 documents. After my lawyer continued to contact the DOJ [1:13:17] on multiple occasions for protection, my name and information remained attached. These documents [1:13:25] hold disturbing and yet incomplete accounts of my abuse, and they were viewable not only by the entire [1:13:33] world, but my child, my students, my students' parents, my friends, my employers, my colleagues, my family. I am public. [1:13:45] However, in my FBI 302, a Jane Doe who has never ever wanted to be revealed was exposed. This outing of [1:13:56] survivor names does real irrevocable damage. The passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act was meant to be [1:14:06] a moment when survivors could regain their power and finally obtain the truth. It was a time for our [1:14:13] institutions created to protect the American people to for once stand on the side of survivors. As [1:14:21] survivors, we have said time and time again, this is not political. This requires coming together and [1:14:31] prioritizing coming together, not political showmanship. I'm always asked, what does accountability [1:14:38] look like? Accountability means removing perpetrators from power, seeing arrests be made, and legislators [1:14:47] pass laws like protecting victims' rights like Virginia's law, which would remove the statute of [1:14:53] limitations for victims' civil claims against their abusers. Our entrenched systemic failures have allowed [1:15:01] powerful people like Jeffrey to thrive. When institutions prioritize protecting the powerful and their [1:15:08] enablers over protecting victims, abuse becomes normalized. If we continue down this path, the question [1:15:18] isn't whether abuse will happen again, but who will be the next Jeffrey Epstein. This moment is critical. [1:15:27] It is time to reform our system, to protect our survivors, not the perpetrators, and to ensure [1:15:35] the truth can come to light. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Ms. Rosa, you are now recognized for [1:15:48] your opening statement. In 2008, I just turned 18 when I met MC Square model management owner named Jean-Luc Brunel. Coming from a [1:16:00] financial unstable background, I was the perfect target for co-origin. I was promised modeling career [1:16:07] beyond my dreams. In less than six months, MC Square obtained an O-1 visa for me. I fit nearly impossible for [1:16:16] a teenager with almost no experience. I did not have the documentation to earn that visa. By May of 2009, I was [1:16:24] in New York City. I was isolated, controlled in a manner I've never experienced before. Within three months, [1:16:30] the agency claimed I owed them over $10,000. I had no family, no friends, or no money. MC Square controlled [1:16:38] every aspect of my life, where I went, how I dressed, and how I looked. They provided me enough [1:16:44] of allowance to keep me afloat, but never enough to be independent. Less than a month after I arrived [1:16:50] to the United States, my agency sent me to a home of a registered sex offender. I was introduced to his [1:16:58] girlfriend under disguise that she was a photographer who helped me build my portfolio. Now I know that [1:17:04] Jeffrey Epstein was supposed to be in jail cell in June of 2008. I met him at his house right here in [1:17:12] West Palm Beach. He was not in a jail. Jean-Luc Brunel brought me to West Palm Beach to have dinner with [1:17:19] Epstein in July. Epstein used the names of powerful politicians to demonstrate his influence. He told me [1:17:28] he's an investor of the very agency that promised me a career. He also spoke of his arrest that it was [1:17:33] a game, bragging about girls visiting his cell, and his friendships with authorities. Jeffrey offered me [1:17:43] a position at the Florida Science Foundation to handle phone calls to help me with my financial [1:17:49] troubles. One day, his masseuse called me into his room where I was molested for the first time by [1:17:57] Jeffrey. For the following three years, I was subject to ongoing rape. Jeffrey Epstein was under house [1:18:10] arrest for the molestation of underage girls at the exact time he was abusing me. Seeing that the fact [1:18:26] that he could commit those acts made justice feel impossible to me, and it took my ability to seek [1:18:34] for help. I was summoned to his residence right here in West Palm Beach. My agency relocated me to Miami to [1:18:46] keep me closer, and only after he was released from the house arrest, I was allowed to go back to New [1:18:51] York City, where my nightmares continued. Those years of abuse turned into a decade of fear that I still [1:18:59] carry today. I eventually found the courage to reach out for help. I stepped forward along other survivors, [1:19:09] hoping those who allow this to happen will be held accountable. I kept my identity protected as Jin Doe. [1:19:17] I woke up one day with my name mentioned over 500 times. While the rich and powerful remained [1:19:33] protected by reduction, my name was exposed to the world. Now reporters from across the globe contact me. [1:19:39] I cannot live without looking over my shoulder. I can only imagine the long-term impact this mistake [1:19:47] will have on my life. I wanted to be a doctor when I was a kid. So I want to end this statement with a [1:19:59] story. In 1800, the doctor named Ignace Semmelweis discovered something life-saving. He realized that [1:20:09] the doctors who were performing autopsies and then immediately delivering babies without washing their hand [1:20:14] were carrying cadaverous particles, causing women dying in agony. He had evidence. He had solution. [1:20:23] He begged the medical establishment to wash their hands to save lives. But the doctors were offended. [1:20:32] They found it easier to protect their own reputation and maintain the status quo than to admit they were the [1:20:39] ones causing harms. They chose their pride over the life of women. And Dr. Semmelweis was ignored, ridiculed, [1:20:47] and eventually cast out. I see the same patterns happening today with handling of these files. [1:20:55] Releasing my name while redacting the name of other powerful is not a mistake. It's a choice. It's a choice [1:21:02] to prioritize the comfort of an institution over the safety of the survivors. The evidence is right here. [1:21:08] Yet those in power, rather us, die socially, emotionally, and physically. Then admit their [1:21:17] own complicity. I am no longer a Jane Doe, hating in the files. I'm a woman, I'm a fighter, and I'm a [1:21:26] witness. And I'm begging you, please wash your hands. Thank you, Ms. Rose. Obviously I think [1:21:55] one of the true horrors of this investigation has been the way so many survivors continue to be [1:22:03] re-traumatized. And I think this is one just really horrific example of how even through the [1:22:10] Transparency Act so much, so much horror and re-traumatization continues to happen. So thank you for the [1:22:20] testimony. Mr. Kuvin, I'm going to recognize you for your opening statement. Thank you. Truly moved [1:22:34] by her strength. Ranking member, members of Congress. My name is Spencer Kuvin. I've represented numerous [1:22:43] survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking over the years, including the first victim to come [1:22:49] forward in the Epstein investigation here in Palm Beach. I'm here today because what happened during the [1:22:56] prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein was not simply a failure of judgment. It was a systemic failure [1:23:04] of justice. In Palm Beach County, credible evidence of widespread sexual abuse involving minors was [1:23:11] presented to state prosecutors, including my client. Law enforcement initially identified dozens of [1:23:19] victims. The conduct was organized, repeated, and devastating. Yet instead of a prosecution that matched the [1:23:27] the scale of the harm, what followed was a secret agreement, as we know, that minimized the abuse [1:23:32] and insulted the children that had been abused. Despite the efforts of some of the federal agents at the [1:23:39] time, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District decided to have these secret meetings [1:23:44] with Epstein's attorneys. The U.S. Department of Justice, in conjunction with the Palm Beach County State [1:23:49] Attorney's Office at the time, colluded in secret to quietly shelve this case with minimal [1:23:56] state charges that branded a 15- and 16-year-old child victim as prostitutes. They gave a sweetheart [1:24:05] deal to Jeffrey Epstein and four named as well as unnamed co-conspirators. The Southern District [1:24:13] U.S. Attorney at the time, Alex Acosta, spearheaded what every attorney advocate saw as the worst [1:24:21] non-prosecution agreement ever executed by a U.S. Attorney. This sent a message. It told victims that [1:24:29] even when the evidence is strong, accountability is negotiable if you are rich and powerful. This [1:24:37] awful non-prosecution agreement completely shut down further federal charges for the events they [1:24:42] were investigating here in Florida. As I mentioned, that tragic deal was negotiated and signed in [1:24:49] secret. Not only was it kept secret from the world, it was kept secret from me. Calls were made [1:24:55] repeatedly to the U.S. attorneys investigating this at the time by myself, an advocate for multiple [1:25:01] victims at the time, and of course it was kept secret from those victims. I was forced to file [1:25:07] motions with the court to compel its ultimate disclosure even after it had been executed. And [1:25:13] finally, after obtaining court orders, they turned it over to us. A full year after it had been signed, [1:25:22] the victims were not consulted. Their advocates, like me, were not consulted. Victims were never [1:25:30] given an opportunity to be heard. This was not just a moral failure. We believed it was a violation of [1:25:37] law under the Crime Victims Rights Act. Originally passed in 2004, subsequently amended by Congress in 06, [1:25:45] 08 and 15. Victims have had the right to confer with prosecutors and the right to be treated with [1:25:50] fairness and respect. Yet those rights were ignored at the very moment that it mattered most. When [1:25:58] decisions were being made that would determine whether justice would ever be pursued, the result [1:26:04] was predictable. Survivors, as you've heard, were re-traumatized, not only by the abuse they endured, [1:26:11] but by a system that excluded them from the process designed specifically to protect them. And the [1:26:18] public was left questioning whether justice can be trusted when powerful interests are involved. [1:26:25] This failure by the Department of Justice at the time was a subject of litigation brought, [1:26:29] as you heard, by Ms. Wilde. That case ultimately exposed a gap in the law, one that must be closed by you. [1:26:40] Today, I want to offer that clear path forward. First, Congress should amend the Crime Victims Rights [1:26:46] Act to make it explicit that victims must be notified and given a meaningful opportunity to confer [1:26:52] before any non-prosecution agreement or deferred prosecution agreement is finalized. [1:26:58] Second, as you've heard, there must be enforceable remedies, not just suggestions. Victims should have [1:27:07] standing to challenge agreements reached in violation of the act, and courts must have the authority to review, [1:27:13] and where appropriate, void those agreements. Third, transparency must be the rule, not the exception. [1:27:24] Secret agreements that extinguish criminal liability, particularly in cases involving [1:27:29] multiple victims, should not exist in our system of justice. And finally, there must be accountability. [1:27:36] When prosecutors fail to uphold victims' rights, there must be consequences sufficient [1:27:41] to ensure that those failures are not repeated. This is not about re-litigating the past. It's about [1:27:47] ensuring what happened here never happens again. The survivors in this case have showed extraordinary [1:27:54] courage coming here today. They told the truth, and they trusted the system, and the system failed them. [1:28:01] Congress now has the opportunity, and I would suggest the responsibility, to fix it. Thank you. We look forward to [1:28:09] your questions. Thank you. Thank you very much. I'd like to go to Ms. Hirsch, please, who's now [1:28:18] recognized for her opening statement. Thank you so much, ranking member, members of Congress. [1:28:22] I'm Lauren Hirsch, the CEO of World Without Exploitation, the largest anti-trafficking [1:28:27] coalition in the country. We have nearly 200 member organizations across the country. Many of [1:28:33] those organizations are survivor-led. It is an absolute honor to sit beside each one of you. You are the [1:28:42] the reason this moment of reckoning is happening. What we have witnessed in the handling of the Epstein [1:28:49] case is not simply a bureaucratic misstep. It is a deeply horrific failure to protect the very people [1:28:57] the system is meant to serve. Survivors have repeatedly been promised dignity, confidentiality, [1:29:05] and care. And instead, we have seen a systemic breakdown in their protection at nearly every step [1:29:14] of the way. We have watched those with power and privilege manipulate the system, shielding themselves [1:29:20] from accountability, while survivors have suffered in silence. Every one of these failures sends a [1:29:28] devastating message, not only to Epstein survivors, but to survivors everywhere. That accountability is [1:29:36] optional for the powerful. Survivors have had enough, and frankly, the American public has had enough of [1:29:43] this too. We are now in a moment of reckoning that requires a thorough examination of all of the things [1:29:50] that have gone horribly wrong, but it also requires a serious course correction. Survivors have been [1:29:59] repeatedly harmed, first by Epstein and his associates, and then by law enforcement who refused to bring [1:30:04] adequate cases, who didn't notify victims when secret sweetheart deals were made, who allowed abuse to [1:30:11] continue even after pleas were entered in, and then they were again abused by the DOJ. When the federal [1:30:19] government fails to protect, provide protection under the Crime Victims Rights Act, survivors cannot be left [1:30:25] without remedy. We need a legislative fix immediately to provide compensation and recourse for violations of [1:30:34] the Crime Victims Rights Act, and this is urgent. I think everyone in the room has heard the survivors and [1:30:42] understands the profound harm caused by the DOJ in releasing hundreds of names of survivors and their [1:30:49] personal personal information in the aftermath of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. So I'll keep this part [1:30:55] brief. As a former prosecutor, I understand that mistakes happen. We're human. But when hundreds of names are released [1:31:05] repeatedly, including nude photos of a survivor, this can no longer be dismissed as human error. Something has gone horribly wrong [1:31:15] inside the DOJ, and the American public deserves clear answers about how this failure has occurred. This requires [1:31:24] a recorded deposition of Pam Bondi on May 29th, not a transcribed interview. Survivors also deserve meaningful [1:31:40] legislative recourse, including a private right of action so that they can be compensated for the exposure of [1:31:48] their private information to the public. Accountability cannot end with an examination of process failures or [1:31:58] even legislative fixes. These files demand further examination. Assertions that there are no credible [1:32:07] investigative leads are deeply concerning. From my perspective, both as the CEO of WorldWe and a former [1:32:15] prosecutor prosecutor, that conclusion is not only premature, it is inconsistent with the available [1:32:22] record. There is an abundance of potential investigative leads that warrant serious independent review. For [1:32:32] three decades, countless men operated with complete impunity. Sex trafficking does not happen in a vacuum. [1:32:39] It is driven by the demand for commercial sex, and it is enabled by systems and people who are willing to [1:32:46] look the other way. That is exactly what we're looking at here. Likely the largest sex trafficking operation the [1:32:54] United States has ever seen. The files are clear, and the files name names. When individuals and institutions surface [1:33:06] use repeatedly in the files, it's a pretty strong indicator that there's some there there. When there are [1:33:14] millions and millions of dollars flowing between an individual and Epstein, and there doesn't seem to be [1:33:19] a business relationship, but instead allegations of sexual abuse, that's not noise to ignore. That is an [1:33:28] investigative lead. And this is just one of many examples. And the examples are not just limited to [1:33:36] individuals. Major hospitals took money from Epstein and provided questionable care. And that's putting [1:33:44] it nicely. Hospital systems, academic institutions, modeling agencies, and the list goes on. They all require [1:33:55] careful, independent examination of investigative leads. The burden should not fall on the survivors to name [1:34:04] names or drive investigations. Survivors should be given safe, voluntary spaces to speak, but they should [1:34:11] not be compelled. The responsibility lies with investigative bodies, prosecutors, the DOJ, on relevant authorities [1:34:21] to do their jobs thoroughly, transparently, and with integrity. Survivors have already carried far too much of [1:34:31] the burden. They should not have the burden. They should not have to carry the failures of our institutions as well. [1:34:35] What is needed now is not defensiveness, but accountability. And finally, for survivors and for world without [1:34:45] exploitation, this is not and has never been political. I'm sure that it will be twisted into us entering the political fray by [1:34:56] the truth. But we have been absolutely clear. We will and have worked with anyone who is serious about [1:35:07] getting to the truth. The era of silence and inaction must end here. Thank you. [1:35:14] Thank you. Obviously, just thank you to all of our witnesses for those opening statements. We're going to [1:35:27] be moving on to questions and some comments from the members of this committee. I do want to uplift [1:35:35] and recognize particularly the survivors and your courage again and how we got to this moment. I want [1:35:40] to start just by, again, just commenting that we're here because of the horrific crimes of Jeffrey Epstein, [1:35:48] Ghislaine Maxwell, and numerous others, and the failure caused by our own government. And I want to, [1:35:55] in my line of questioning, I just want to hone down on one thing which I think is really important. [1:36:02] Last July, the administration's FBI and DOJ released a two-page document saying, and I quote, [1:36:12] we did not uncover evidence that could predicate investigation against uncharged third parties. [1:36:22] In other words, the current administration through its DOJ believed that this investigation was over, [1:36:33] that no one else could be investigated for perhaps the worst sex trafficking ring in American history, [1:36:41] that no other person could be held accountable, or there could be further convictions of the horrors [1:36:48] made and against 1,200 women and girls. Now we here, and some of our colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, [1:37:02] have worked together to file motions, to file laws, and to push this investigation forward. [1:37:09] And I want to be very clear. The DOJ, this administration, the President and the Attorney General made it clear that this investigation, in their opinion, [1:37:22] was a hoax, was a lie, and there was nothing else to do to move forward. The DOJ tried to close this case. [1:37:34] Through our investigation, we have learned that many of the witnesses that we have been going through to deposition, [1:37:43] through transcribed interviews, were never questioned by law enforcement. [1:37:49] And this is something that we learned only by forcing these interviews, and by sitting asking these questions. [1:37:56] How could Les Wexner have never been interviewed by our own government, who was the source of most of Jeffrey Epstein's wealth, [1:38:08] and was never questioned? How can some of the folks on this document, the FBI had in their possession, [1:38:18] not ever have been questioned by our own government or law enforcement? [1:38:24] How could Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, who you can see in this chart, [1:38:29] and were essentially the brain trust of Jeffrey Epstein's organization? [1:38:35] How could they never have been questioned? That is not a mistake. That is a cover-up. [1:38:44] And what I think we want to make very clear is this is not just about the mistakes [1:38:54] and the ongoing harm of the Trump administration. This has been harm posed by numerous administrations [1:39:01] led by both Republicans and Democrats. And when folks come and ask, [1:39:08] well, why wasn't the former administration Attorney General Garland more engaged on this issue? [1:39:13] I asked the same question. Why wasn't Merrick Garland more engaged and focused on prosecutions [1:39:20] and more focused on getting out the truth? This is not just about partisan politics. [1:39:28] This is a continued pattern of abuse and not seeking justice. But we're here now, at this moment, [1:39:39] in this Congress with this administration and this cover-up must end. I want to briefly ask the survivors [1:39:49] if you believe that this investigation should continue, if your government should continue [1:39:55] this investigation, Ms. Spensky? Yes. Rosa? Absolutely, yes. Ms. Wild? Yes. Ms. Jones? Yes. [1:40:08] Thank you. And we agree. It's unacceptable that folks have been not questioned, [1:40:15] that there haven't been criminal prosecutions, and that our own former Attorney General continues [1:40:22] to be engaged in this cover-up. They want to end this investigation. But what we are saying today [1:40:31] is we need to come together with our bipartisan allies on the other side, and especially some [1:40:38] Republican women who have stood and continue to push for truth and justice. We welcome their support [1:40:45] in this investigation. At a hearing back in March, former Attorney General Bondi told one of my colleagues, [1:40:51] quote, I'm stunned that you want to continue talking about Epstein. That was her quote. Ms. Spensky, [1:41:04] you were there. So was Skye Roberts on behalf of Virginia. Attorney General Bondi didn't spend one [1:41:10] minute talking to you, but instead wanted to end the Epstein investigation. Today, we're here to tell [1:41:17] the former Attorney General that we are demanding that she come in for her date with the subpoena, [1:41:24] that she testified under oath, and that it's videotaped and released to the American public, [1:41:29] and the survivors deserve nothing less. And I want to again ask the survivors. We know that [1:41:44] approximately 2.5 million documents are still hidden. And we also understand that anything that's released [1:41:51] in the future needs to be redacted with care and properly. Do you all support this Congress in the [1:42:02] continued release of the files? If redactions are done properly and with care? Ms. Spensky? [1:42:08] Of course. Rosa? Yes. Ms. Wild? Yes. Ms. Jones? Yes. Thank you. I think it's important for [1:42:19] the Attorney General, for Mr. Blanche, and for others to hear directly that the survivors don't [1:42:24] think this is a hoax or that the investigation is over. Everyone in this room is committed to making [1:42:31] the truth and justice a part of our legislative work. We have to pass laws and do the right thing. [1:42:39] What we're facing right now is a systemic, a systemic government agencies and administration [1:42:51] that's trying to end this work. And we have to push back on it. We have sworn testimony. We've seen [1:43:01] emails from the Epstein estate, from many others, even about the relationship and the friendship between [1:43:09] the current President and Jeffrey Epstein. We continue to demand that the President force his DOJ to do [1:43:20] the right thing by the survivors and to ensure that we get truth and justice. We're just a few miles [1:43:29] away from Mar-a-Lago, where we know Ghislaine recruited and harmed and abused women, where Virginia [1:43:36] herself was recruited. And we also know that the President, or his residence is just a few miles from [1:43:44] here, is the one man in America that has the power to do the right thing and force the DOJ to release [1:43:52] the files, protect the survivors, and demand and ensure that the American public get the truth. [1:43:58] And that's why we're here today. And with that, I yield and I want to turn it over to Representative [1:44:04] Christian Morphy. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Ranking Member. Thank you to all the witnesses. Thank you for your [1:44:13] bravery, your conviction, and your determination. Today, I want to ask you first about Ghislaine Maxwell. [1:44:23] Ms. Wilde, in a written victim impact statement that was filed in court, you said that the abuse [1:44:29] you suffered was, quote, deliberate and systematic, designed by Epstein and facilitated by his staff and [1:44:34] associates, including Ghislaine Maxwell, correct? I don't, I don't, I never, I don't think that's my, [1:44:41] I never had any relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell. Can you repeat that? Uh, in a victim impact [1:44:48] statement in Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 versus the United States? Oh, yes. Yes. Okay. I'm against the, [1:44:54] I'm sorry. I've never met Ghislaine Maxwell, but yes, that's what the other Jane Doe. Ms. Benski, [1:45:01] at Maxwell's trial, survivors testified that Maxwell participated in the sexual abuse of girls. Maxwell [1:45:10] recruited victims for Epstein, including at schools, and that Maxwell once told a 14-year-old girl that [1:45:18] she, quote, had a great body for Epstein and his friends. Isn't that what was testified to? Yeah. I [1:45:25] also, my experience was not with, with Maxwell, but I am sure that that is true. Ms. Jones, after Maxwell [1:45:33] was found guilty of unconscionable acts, Politico reported that Maxwell's lawyer, this guy right [1:45:41] here, said that there's a good chance and for good reason that Maxwell would get a pardon. You have [1:45:49] publicly stated that, quote, clemency would be a slap in the face to all survivors, right? I agree [1:45:55] with that wholeheartedly. I think everyone on this panel agrees, probably. Maxwell hasn't shown any guilt, [1:46:01] hasn't shown any remorse, hasn't shown any ounce of accountability for what she did. I've introduced [1:46:09] the House resolution condemning clemency for Maxwell. I hope everyone here will join me because we have [1:46:14] to do everything in our power to block a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms. Hirsch, I want to turn to [1:46:26] another topic, following the money. You're aware of Epstein-related financial records called suspicious [1:46:32] activity reports, SARS reports, that have not been produced, correct? Yeah. And just to level set, a [1:46:37] suspicious activity report is a report produced by a bank anytime a customer performs a questionable [1:46:44] transaction. It turns out there were numerous such reports filed by banks with the Treasury Department for [1:46:51] Jeffrey Epstein, including large cash withdrawals and even requests that Epstein made for the creation of bank [1:46:58] accounts and credit cards for teenagers and people who had nothing to do with his family. Isn't that [1:47:05] right? It is. The Senate Finance Committee has found Epstein made wire transfers that are detailed in [1:47:11] these suspicious activity reports, SARS reports, to the tune of $1.5 billion, with a B, and include the [1:47:20] names of women and girls he may have trafficked, as well as the names of his potential clients. I believe that [1:47:26] this is paramount to the investigation of the sex trafficking ring. Would you agree with that? [1:47:31] I do agree with that. If we're serious, if we're serious about following the money, [1:47:36] I believe that these SARS reports must be disclosed by the U.S. Treasury Department now, immediately today. [1:47:44] Last topic. Last topic, Ms. Hirsch. Can you give me this? These one, two, three, four, five, [1:47:59] six people, they must be disclosed today. What do you think about that? I absolutely agree with you. [1:48:05] They may be among us today, perpetrating a continuation of a sex trafficking ring. [1:48:13] Now, Mr. Coven, DOJ has not released all of the raw interviews and transcripts from the more [1:48:18] more than 40 victims of the DOJ's that were investigated in the DOJ's 2008 investigation, [1:48:24] right? Correct. And DOJ has not released all of the video footage collected at Epstein's properties, [1:48:31] correct? Absolutely. Not only that, I've actually walked through the home of Jeffrey Epstein after [1:48:38] the incidents occurred and saw where the video cameras were located and no longer existed. [1:48:46] Epstein tried to maintain his power over those he abused by taking away their chance at justice. [1:48:52] We cannot let that happen. Donald Trump, I'm calling on you to listen to survivors, [1:48:57] release all of the documents, unredact all these people, prosecute the rest of these people, [1:49:03] and investigate the remaining. In addition, Ghislaine Maxwell should never, ever, ever receive [1:49:11] clemency. That monster should not be given pardon and ensure every enabler of Epstein faces [1:49:16] consequences, no matter who they are or their political affiliation. Thank you. And I yield back. [1:49:22] Thank you. Now we'll have Representative Stansbury. [1:49:31] All right. Well, good morning, everyone. And I just want to start out by acknowledging our survivors [1:49:36] who are here with us. And to those of you who spoke, people tell you all the time that you're brave [1:49:44] and you are, but I know that it comes at great cost to yourself, great cost to your families. But I want [1:49:52] you to know and part of why I asked the staff to hold up this picture is because you are literally [1:49:57] changing the face of the planet by standing up and telling your stories. And even though the system [1:50:03] is failing you again right now in Congress, you are changing the world by helping people who are [1:50:10] survivors, who are victims, who have never had their stories told publicly, to know that they're not [1:50:17] alone. So I want to say thank you for everything that you are doing. And I know that it's hard. [1:50:23] But what you're doing is changing the planet right now. So thank you for holding that up. I came, [1:50:32] I got in early yesterday. And I went for a walk, I walked to downtown here in West Palm Beach. And then I [1:50:42] walked across the bridge. I think like millions of people across the country, I've seen, of course, [1:50:50] the documentary that documents what happened here in West Palm Beach. And I wanted to walk across the [1:50:56] bridge that survivors had told the story themselves of literally having been driven across. But I don't [1:51:03] think that I truly understood the power, the wealth, the abuse that has happened in this community until [1:51:13] I saw the mansions and the estates, the private clubs, and how inequality is literally written [1:51:23] into the landscape here. And the reason why I wanted to start there is because there has been a lot said [1:51:32] about the system of abuse that Epstein and Maxwell perpetrated. There has been a lot said about how [1:51:39] grooming occurred, how recruitment happened, and how he psychologically threatened, abused, and used [1:51:47] all these different tactics to abuse girls and women. But I want to make one thing clear here today, [1:51:53] and I want to ask some questions about this, is we talk about the system failing. The system didn't [1:52:00] fail. The system was designed to protect the wealthy. The system was rigged from the beginning when those [1:52:08] mansions were built. The system was built on inequality. The system was built on exploiting people. [1:52:16] It's written into the landscape here in West Palm Beach. It's written into the landscape in New Mexico, [1:52:23] where Jeffrey Epstein went to Santa Fe with his rich friends and recruited girls that he exploited [1:52:31] and then trafficked to other rich friends that he flew to New Mexico. This wasn't failure, [1:52:36] failure. This was a system. It was a system of exploitation. It was a system of abuse. And it [1:52:44] was a system of power. And that's one of the things that I want to really dive into here with my short [1:52:52] time today. Because the officials, the federal, the state, the local, the attorney generals didn't just [1:52:59] fail to investigate these cases. They chose not to investigate them. They chose to take bribes and kickbacks [1:53:08] and campaign donations. The police department here in West Palm Beach chose to take a donation from [1:53:15] Jeffrey Epstein. The police and sheriffs and others in other cities and states chose to take donations. [1:53:24] And right now, while this is not a partisan issue, this administration is choosing to not investigate [1:53:35] the crimes that are in these files. This administration is choosing to release the names of survivors and not [1:53:43] perpetrators. This administration is choosing to not investigate or indict a single man who committed rape [1:53:54] of a child or woman that is in the files. And this administration is choosing to gaslight the American [1:54:03] people. While all over the world, foreign officials are arresting, investigating, a prince has been taken [1:54:10] down. And here in the United States, our Department of Justice, which is sitting on millions of files, [1:54:17] is refusing to act. That is not a failure. That is a choice. That is a system built on wealth, inequality, [1:54:27] and exploitation of women, of girls, of children, and a system built to protect the powerful. That is a [1:54:35] system. And it is a system that Jeffrey Epstein developed here in West Palm Beach. And then it is [1:54:42] a system that he he exported to places like the Virgin Islands to New Mexico and to all of the places [1:54:50] that he operated. And so I want us to think about as we're moving forward with this investigation, [1:55:01] we can investigate all the hundreds or even thousands of micro decisions that were made [1:55:07] by local police, by sheriffs, by state police, by the Department of Justice, by AGs who chose to turn a [1:55:15] blind eye and not prosecute these crimes. But the only way we are actually going to get justice in this [1:55:21] case is by changing the system itself. And that's exactly what you guys are doing. And it's powerful. [1:55:28] You're literally taking on the entire world right now, and a system of wealth and inequality. [1:55:35] So I want to ask the survivors, because I feel like you get asked all the time to retell your stories, [1:55:44] and I've read your stories. Anyone can go in the files and read your stories. But I want to hear from [1:55:49] you what justice would look like in this case. So maybe starting here on the end. [1:55:57] It's always a sore, sore subject, because I'm just like, at this point, honestly, I don't think [1:56:05] justice will ever be served in this case. And, and that's just my experience of the past 20 years that [1:56:13] I've dealt with it. If I were really optimistic, and it did, I think it would be, [1:56:21] for one, the Crime Victims Rights Act, we have to fix that law. Also education in the school systems, [1:56:31] maybe like with the sex ed, or just there has to be more education on what grooming is on what sex [1:56:39] trafficking is. It's not, you know, I think a lot of people have a picture in their head, [1:56:43] that is just not reality. And for me being that this happened in Palm Beach County, I think there [1:56:53] needs to be like a building. And I think that the, the first 72 hours that a survivor tells their story, [1:57:01] and comes forward and says, Okay, I'm ready. I'm ready to tell this. And there it's such a crucial time. I think there [1:57:10] needs to be something dedicated in Palm Beach County to all of our childhoods that were lost [1:57:17] and taken. You know, when we came forward, and we told our stories, man, I was treated like a [1:57:23] criminal from the by the federal government. And I just think I guess justice would be change. [1:57:30] I don't know what justice looks like anymore. It's I'm just blown away that this is our government that [1:57:45] is handling this. But justice would be, like Courtney said, accountability. These people that [1:57:57] did wrong should be held accountable for what they did to us. Of course, we know that. But do we think, [1:58:03] do I think that is gonna truly happen? Probably not. Look at how this has gone on. But education is so [1:58:11] very important. Our kids are listening, they're watching this, they're hearing, and for the first time [1:58:17] for a lot of children, this is the first time they are even hearing about something like this. And so education [1:58:22] is important. If we can't take these bad guys off the streets, let's teach our kids how to protect [1:58:28] themselves in this. And so, but I hope the government gets it together. Maybe get some justice. [1:58:37] I think justice starts with passing Virginia's law. I think that's a really great place to start, because [1:58:44] justice shouldn't have a time limit, right? I know at almost 40, like I'm about to turn 40 this year, and [1:58:52] I'm just able to look at my abuse. I'm just able to sit and write it and read it. And so I think there [1:58:59] are a lot of survivors who have never come forward. So that would be a start, passing Virginia's law, [1:59:04] changing the statute of limitations. There's a culture shift that really needs to happen, where the blame [1:59:10] needs to be placed on the perpetrator and not on the victim, similar to Courtney's experience. My [1:59:16] experience with law enforcement, I was so terrified, and I did feel like I was being interrogated the [1:59:21] entire time that I was there. I thought that I was going to go to jail that day. I was like, my life is [1:59:26] over. It didn't really make me want to talk to anybody, but the FBI came back to my home in 2019. [1:59:33] Anyway, I'll just say it was a very threatening feeling. So having an advocate in those spaces [1:59:39] would also be really important. But yeah, just elevating survivor rights and making sure [1:59:45] that we start with that baseline of Virginia's law. [1:59:47] Yeah. So I come from a different country, and I have a job. And if you come to me and you ask me, [1:59:59] what should I do and ask questions about my job, I'll give you an answer. I appreciate you asking [2:00:05] that question, but I don't know. That's your job. You guys have to figure out how to make justice, [2:00:12] not me. And you can't give me justice. Like this, when I came to this country, I thought [2:00:29] something's going to be different. And I am shocked that this is happening here in the United States. [2:00:36] You keep on saying this is the worst case in the United States, but it's not. It's the worst case [2:00:41] in the world. This never happened to me in other places. And I traveled as a model all over the [2:00:48] world. This didn't happen to me there. It happened to me here. You need to figure it out. And I hope you [2:00:55] do. And I hope this never happens again to anybody. Keep it in the history books. Don't stop fighting. [2:01:04] Don't let it go away. I wish one day we all can sit there and never hear the name, [2:01:10] but I also hope that we will forever so this never happens again. Good luck. [2:01:19] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that says it all. It's our job. So thank you. [2:01:28] Thank you so much. Representative Frost. [2:01:30] Thank you so much. I want to talk about something very specific. As we know, [2:01:37] Jeffrey Epstein trafficked and abused women and girls, not just in Florida and New York, [2:01:41] but internationally, across the globe. This case shines a light on the truth of sex trafficking, [2:01:47] and it informs us as members of Congress of the changes and the reforms we need to pursue [2:01:52] in many different areas that sometimes seem different, but are all connected. [2:01:56] I want to first thank you all for coming here today, especially the survivors and sharing your [2:02:00] stories. In many instances, we have seen that traffickers and sexual predators control [2:02:05] employment opportunities for the people that they abuse. This happens everywhere from working [2:02:11] communities to the wealthiest and the most powerful pockets of society. Right here, this is from [2:02:16] documents produced to the committee. It appears to show copies of passports in Epstein's possession, [2:02:21] belonging to young women. We believe many of these are survivors. Epstein's network is bigger than what [2:02:28] many people understand. It's stretched across the entire globe. And we know that Epstein did not act [2:02:33] alone. Him and his associates exploited financial and immigration systems, broken immigration systems, [2:02:41] to traffic women and girls. Epstein helped women enroll in English language schools, [2:02:46] facilitated their admission into American universities to help them get visas and help them secure jobs, [2:02:54] all as a premise for getting the women into the United States. We questioned Epstein's lawyer about [2:03:00] this and his accountant about the sham marriages, which they helped arrange for immigration purposes. [2:03:06] And many of these women sadly became survivors of Epstein's abuse. Rosa, thank you so much for [2:03:14] your very powerful testimony. Why did you come to the United States? You spoke a little bit about this. [2:03:21] I was a model. I came here thinking that my modeling career is going to be continued here. I traveled [2:03:33] before the United States and I was very successful. When I was able to escape the ring of Jeffrey Epstein, [2:03:40] I was a successful model afterwards, but only after. During it, I couldn't. [2:03:48] So you came for opportunity? Yes. And we told you, right? We told the entire world, [2:03:55] we've told the entire world, come to the United States for opportunity. This is a land of opportunity [2:03:59] where you can be anyone where you can do anything, right? Yes. New York City was a top of a list for [2:04:06] any model traveling and getting a contract. Rosa, can you help us understand how Epstein, [2:04:14] Brunel and their associates used the promises of modeling jobs to recruit you and other women? [2:04:24] When you enter modeling, you have a dream of ending up and walking a Victoria's Secret show [2:04:31] or on a cover of Vogue magazines. So when you're a teenager and somebody approaches you saying [2:04:37] that they can be there to help you and be your word ally, I hate that word really, because that was [2:04:46] used many, many times in trying to make me believe that they are my ally in order to get those jobs. [2:04:55] So naturally, it comes across like these people care and you believe them. Why? Because you were just [2:05:04] a teenager. It doesn't look really scary to begin with. So they gain your trust and then they put you [2:05:13] in a situation where financially you can't leave. The ticket back home costs $1,300 round trip. I was [2:05:24] giving $100 a week in New York City to survive. And if any of you go to New York City today and try to [2:05:32] live over $100, good luck. Rosa, we also know that you're an immigrant and we know that Epstein [2:05:41] and his network also manipulated and threatened women using their visas or immigration status. [2:05:47] Can you talk about your experience with this? Every time I came to my agency or Epstein, which I didn't [2:05:54] know why I came to him, I begged them to let me go back to other places I used to model before, on which [2:06:04] they said, why? You are not going to do well there, so stay here. What do you need? I would say, job. And then [2:06:14] they offered me job. They didn't give me money to purchase a ticket and I didn't have a credit card. I didn't [2:06:23] have my parents sending me money. I couldn't afford a ticket back. So they used my dreams against me [2:06:31] saying that it's just the time and everything is going to be okay. And if I trust them, all my dreams [2:06:38] are going to come true. We know that he weaponized people's immigration status, right? And the fact that [2:06:46] they were immigrants against them to manipulate them, to force them into his horrible crimes and the [2:06:51] horrible things he did to them, there are so many changes that need to come from this investigation. [2:06:56] And I think it's important that we also remember immigrant women are disproportionately impacted by [2:07:02] sex trafficking in the United States. Epstein exploited this broken immigration system to do [2:07:08] these crimes. And I think your story and your testimony shows that and many of the other stories [2:07:12] and testimonies that we've heard. This investigation shows us that we have to fix this system, not just [2:07:18] demonize immigrants. And in a moment where the same people that are obstructing this investigation, [2:07:24] the same people who are engaged in the coverup of this investigation are also the one demonizing [2:07:28] immigrants across this country shows us the real truth that if we spent a modicum of the money and [2:07:33] energy that this government is using to go terrorize our communities and round up innocent people [2:07:38] to go after the billionaire pedophiles and sex traffickers and people who have exploited this [2:07:45] broken immigration system, maybe we'd have some justice here. And so just thank you so much for [2:07:49] being here and sharing your testimony. I yield back. [2:07:58] And now I'll recognize Ms. Lee from Pennsylvania. [2:08:00] Thank you, ranking member. I want to start like many by just grounding us in the people who have [2:08:10] too often been ignored. Survivors like Danny Bensky, who was just 17 when she was lured to work for [2:08:17] Jeffrey Epstein with false promises and then threatened with her mother's illness. Rosa, [2:08:23] who was trafficked across borders and abused for years. Courtney Wilde, who not only survived abuse, [2:08:29] but then had to lead a legal fight for recognition by a Department of Justice that was supposed to [2:08:34] protect her. And General Lisa Jones, who has sounded the alarm that a paltry release of DOJ fouls hints at a [2:08:42] possible, probable cover-up. I just want to thank you all for being here, for continuing to show up, [2:08:48] for your continued courage and your commitment to justice. We recognize that you are unfortunately [2:08:53] four of very, very many, many more survivors. And I hope you know that your presence today means [2:09:00] to survivors across this country, how important it is to them. For decades, survivors have worked in good [2:09:05] faith with law enforcement to try to expose Epstein and his co-conspirators, only to have their interests [2:09:11] and their needs ignored. From a bogus non-prosecution agreement way back in 2008, to the inexcusable [2:09:18] release of personal identifying information from Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche's DOJ. The DOJ seems [2:09:25] perfectly capable of concealing the names of these rich and these powerful folks in the fouls that have [2:09:30] been released, but they did not give that same level of care to the actual survivors. And here in [2:09:36] Florida, Alex Acosta spent more time cutting the deal with Kenneth Starr, Alan Darshowitz, and other [2:09:42] well-connected lawyers working for Epstein and with Epstein, than he did actually listening to [2:09:49] survivors. This sweetheart deal enabled Epstein to continue abusing survivors while he was out on [2:09:55] work release, as we've heard. The DOJ has failed to indict any other perpetrator of sex trafficking [2:10:01] beyond Epstein and Maxwell, despite all the complaints and the reports that other individuals [2:10:06] were implicated involved, including from survivors themselves who have named these people. They seem [2:10:11] to have no plans to do so. So Todd Blanche stating that the Epstein fouls, quote, should not be a part of [2:10:16] anything going forward, unquote, is where we need to spend a little time. This is a glaring proof of a [2:10:23] two-tier system of justice in this country. Mr. Cuban, this saga began with a failure at the state level, [2:10:30] when prosecutors declined to fully pursue justice against Jeffrey Epstein, right? [2:10:33] Correct. You represented one of the first survivors in Florida. We saw a non-prosecution [2:10:38] agreement that shielded Epstein and protected his associates. Can you explain why that agreement was [2:10:42] so unusual and how harmful it was? So first of all, as I said before, it was unusual because [2:10:49] ordinarily the U.S. Attorney's Office would consult with counsel for the victims and talk about the [2:10:54] potential charges that they're going to bring, and they never did that. They kept it secret. They would [2:10:59] not answer phone calls. When I was able to get through to the U.S. Attorney at the time, [2:11:02] who was Maria Villafana, she said, I can't talk to you. Second, it was so unusual because it not only [2:11:11] gave immunity to Jeffrey Epstein, who was the target of their investigation, but it gave immunity to [2:11:15] co-conspirators without prosecution of those co-conspirators, or even a hint of prosecution of [2:11:21] four specifically named co-conspirators. Lastly, the most unusual part of that deal was that they added the [2:11:29] phrase unnamed co-conspirators. I have never in 30 years doing this ever seen a non-prosecution [2:11:36] agreement so broad as to say that they're giving immunity to unnamed individuals. It was a gift. [2:11:43] Ms. Wow, really quickly, can you tell us more about those emails between Epstein lawyers and [2:11:49] the prosecutors and what made them seem different from what you would think a typical plea negotiation [2:11:53] would look like? Ms. Yes, ma'am. When me and Brad Edwards were able to, we got the emails, [2:12:00] it was literally friends. Hey, they were meeting at Starbucks. They were meeting off the record, [2:12:06] wherever they wanted. These were friends, literally negotiating how much time, what it would look like, [2:12:14] what the charges were going to look like, what they were going to say during the grand jury. It was all [2:12:20] scripted. It was all set up, cover up. Ms. I just want to say really quickly, [2:12:25] does any survivor feel, have you felt protected or seen or heard by the government? Ms. No, ma'am. [2:12:32] Ms. Just no. Ms. None of my, the redactions, none of my information has been redacted. [2:12:37] Ms. This is about a system that asks survivors to carry the burden of proof, the burden of patience, [2:12:42] the burden of pain, while people with wealth and power are given time and protection and silence. [2:12:48] Well, we're here today because of Jeffrey Epstein. Sexual abuse survivors across this country know [2:12:52] all too well that he is not an anomaly, but he's a high profile example of a system that too often [2:12:57] works exactly as designed to shield abusers and silence those that they harm. So to all the survivors, [2:13:02] the fierce attorney advocates who are with us here today, I just want to thank you for coming forward, [2:13:06] despite the many frustrations, the threats, the dangers, and the setbacks that you've experienced. [2:13:10] We have a responsibility to all survivors who are still waiting, to the ones who have never gotten [2:13:15] justice and to the ones watching right now to say that this ends here. And we take that very seriously. [2:13:20] I thank you all so much. Now you're back. Thank you so much, Ms. Lee. And now I am going to recognize [2:13:31] myself for five minutes. I've been smiling probably more than I am supposed to as I've sat here, [2:13:41] because y'all bring me so much joy. And let me tell you why. The reason is this. It's because in [2:13:50] spite or despite this incompetent government, y'all have not backed down. For some people, it is the [2:13:58] very first time that they're seeing your faces, but you have been there when no cameras are rolling. [2:14:03] You have been there for decades and you are still showing up. The reality is that you are not a child [2:14:11] in this moment, but you know that other children are potentially being subjected to something similar [2:14:17] in this exact moment. And it is your courage that is contagious. We don't have that, unfortunately, [2:14:24] in Congress. We've got a bunch of cowards. But your courage is contagious. Think about it this way. [2:14:31] One of the things that I really want to clarify, because I have had an opportunity to hear some [2:14:36] of your stories and meet with some of you in person and behind closed doors, a lot of people who [2:14:42] potentially are not on the right side of history right now. One of the common questions that they [2:14:49] ask is, how is it that this could have happened to so many people, yet when you were going through [2:14:56] your experience, you failed to see anybody else or know anything else, and you thought that you were [2:15:03] all alone. And I know that that is something you have told me directly. So for the people that are [2:15:10] watching and they're hearing numbers like, man, thousands of girls, but at the same time, [2:15:15] they're hearing, you know what, I never saw anything else. Whoever feels most comfortable, [2:15:22] if you will, because for me, I don't think that I have that much confidence in the government [2:15:30] overall doing what's right for the right reason. But it is the pressure from outside. It is you going [2:15:40] out there and being courageous that has made the people rise up. That is why we were able to get [2:15:46] some kind of movement. And so I want to build more allies for this movement right now. So if [2:15:53] any of you would like to answer that question. Thank you for that, first of all. But I think it starts [2:16:02] with our young people knowing that they need to speak up. Because for me, I think I was pit against a [2:16:10] friend of mine that went together to Jeffrey the first time and he was very good at using the [2:16:15] manipulation to hold us there. And so I felt like I couldn't tell anybody and I didn't tell anybody. [2:16:22] So I think it starts with the youngest, you know, if an experience feels off to have a young person [2:16:29] speak out and talk to even just a friend about that, and then say to that friend, hey, is this [2:16:33] happening to you? Then the two of them can talk to an adult. And then we're already making change [2:16:38] because we're already taking it out of the dark. I think the secrecy was the hardest part in my own [2:16:44] abuse. And meeting all of the survivor sisters in September absolutely changed my whole life. [2:16:50] And so I do think if you can find community and if you can find the people who boost you, [2:16:57] it's really important. But it starts with our youngest survivors. Thank you so much for that. [2:17:01] And in fact, you brought up young survivors. You know, a quick question that I have for each of [2:17:07] you is do you believe that a child has the ability to consent to sex? No, no. Okay. [2:17:14] Interestingly enough, most of the time our laws, whether they're state or federal, acknowledge that [2:17:19] as well. But I have a transcript and I won't go through it, but it relates to the case that stemmed [2:17:25] out of here where they were trying to make it seem as if a child's victim was a criminal. That was the [2:17:32] focus of their questioning. So it is so frustrating because literally when I was in the state house [2:17:38] in Texas, this is one of the things that I actually worked on, was making sure we changed the actual [2:17:43] language in the code, specifically as we talked about child victims. So that brings me to kind of [2:17:52] where we are on the federal level. And I'm gonna wrap up because the time I want to make sure we stay on [2:17:58] time. My colleagues have been so, my colleagues are nicer than I am. I'm gonna be real. They've [2:18:06] used words like cover up, choice. For me, it's obstruction of justice. It's real clear. And that's [2:18:13] just the lawyer in me. This is pure obstruction. Anyone else that would engage in this type of [2:18:20] behavior would be charged with obstruction of justice. Yet somehow, because it's the Department of [2:18:26] Justice, the ones that are supposed to enforce justice and law in this country. We're not calling [2:18:32] it a thing a thing, but that's what it is. And so it is my hope that we understand that while these [2:18:38] survivors have taken the time to come out, and some of them were outed unlawfully and absolutely need to [2:18:49] have some semblance of justice because of that illegal outing, because our law was very clear. [2:18:56] To be clear about that. I need people to understand that we all have a role to play. [2:19:03] People in this moment keep asking, what is it that I can do? Well, I'm gonna be partisan as well, [2:19:08] because they're not being partisan. The Republicans could have shown up today too. They didn't. So let [2:19:14] me be clear. I am going to be full on partisan. You have to vote. If you care about this, you have to [2:19:20] vote and you have to understand who is fighting for you. There are certain things that were always a basic [2:19:27] kind of standard in this country for what was right. We protected the most vulnerable amongst [2:19:33] us. We're not doing that nowadays. We made sure that we believed in quote unquote law and order, [2:19:38] but we're not doing that nowadays. It is time to wake up. It is time for us all to do our part, [2:19:46] because again, I'm gonna be partisan because only the Democrats decided to show up today. So with that, I will [2:19:52] move to the next step of the next step. And my next step. Okay, they're making me skip down. Okay, well, we're [2:20:00] gonna head to Virginia. [2:20:01] Rep, Supervolume, it's your turn. [2:20:02] Rep, Supervolume, it's your turn. [2:20:05] Thank you. I want to thank you all for being here today and thank all the people in the audience here [2:20:12] today. And I will just say that it's because of you that we had the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed and the [2:20:18] president himself had to sign it into law begrudgingly while in the background trying [2:20:23] to figure out how to break it later on and uh it's because of you that we were able to issue [2:20:28] an august subpoena led by representative lee and they still haven't complied with that subpoena [2:20:33] but it's because of you we got that far it's because of you that they won't even hold hearings [2:20:37] real hearings in the oversight committee on anything anymore because they're afraid we'll [2:20:41] subpoena more people about epstein files and epstein transparency act so just think about [2:20:47] where you've gotten us i know it's not enough it may never be enough someone mentioned before [2:20:52] but i just want to thank you for getting us this far and i know there are a lot of girls and women [2:20:57] around the country around the world who thank you as well uh one of the things that has driven me [2:21:03] crazy is that there's millions of files that have still not been released and so this question really [2:21:08] is for anyone but one of the things that i i remember hearing from any of the survivors last [2:21:14] year was you'd at least like your own files files your own witness statements has anyone received your [2:21:20] own files so no one has received their own files and has the trump administration talked to you about [2:21:28] potentially giving you those files i'm seeing everyone say no and um did they ever talk to you [2:21:36] about uh which files they were withholding and why they would withhold them or consult with you about [2:21:42] that i'm seeing everyone shake their heads as well in the audience and and all the witnesses we have [2:21:47] today and uh so i guess i would ask then you know we're going to be talking to uh someone next week [2:21:54] pam bondy and so um do you have any suggestions on what we should ask her tomorrow [2:21:59] i think there's a lot to ask her right but um do we believe anything that's going to come out of [2:22:14] her mouth let's pretend yes yeah okay um i i definitely why who are you who are we covering for [2:22:21] like oh you were willing to lose your job to cover up for these people what do they have on you because [2:22:33] i'd like to know you're a woman you're a mother and you look at us it couldn't even look at the [2:22:41] survivors so what's your part in this can i add to that um process what was the process and we would [2:22:51] ask the same of todd blanche what was the process for moving q and maxwell i can actually speak to [2:22:58] three very specific things that you should ask her number one there was hours of video surveillance [2:23:04] taken by the lead investigator at the time outside of the home watching people go in and out of the [2:23:09] house that has yet to be released and we know it exists from the probable cause affidavit secondly [2:23:15] back in october of 2003 there's record evidence that there were surveillance inside the home because cash [2:23:21] was stolen from mr epstein by one of his workers and sarah kellen showed police that video from inside the [2:23:28] home that means surveillance cameras in fact existed in the home where is that video and then lastly [2:23:35] maxwell photographed everything she loved taking photographs of people that was her passion they [2:23:42] have not released even a fraction of the photographs that maxwell took um so i'm just going to add on to [2:23:52] danny's point about process and be a little more specific so what transpired um in advance of the files [2:24:00] being released or a number of the lawyers who are in this room provided doj with lists of names i think [2:24:08] one lawyer provided about 300 names and those names got released in the first batch many of those names got [2:24:17] released in the first batch of um of files when they were dumped they the lawyer went back and said [2:24:25] these names need to be redacted i'm just going to use danny's as an example i hope that's okay danny [2:24:30] um so the her lawyer went back and said redact danny bensky's name um so the her lawyer went back and [2:24:50] said redact danny bensky's name um so the her lawyer went back and said redact danny bensky's name [2:25:51] well this is one way to ask man are we live now looks like we're live now are we live now guys maybe not [2:28:06] yeah you're live you're live now okay hey guys uh just wanted to pop on here at the very end of this [2:28:12] hearing it looks like it's continuing but their feed may have cut uh short if that is the case and [2:28:18] we can't show you any more of the hearing wanted to wrap this up and just say thanks to everybody for [2:28:22] tuning in on all of our platforms really important that we were able to to hear these these stories from [2:28:29] these survivors just incredible stories of survival from these from these very brave women very [2:28:36] courageous women who as girls were abused by jeffrey epstein and galane maxwell some of them in this [2:28:42] community that we're standing in right now in west palm beach in palm beach florida as you heard from [2:28:47] the family of virginia jufre sky roberts this is where the abuse began for virginia jufre and i will i will [2:28:54] tell you i cannot get out of my mind some of the comments that were made by some of the survivors [2:28:59] today one of the survivors who went by the name rosa she talked about during the hearing how her [2:29:05] identity had been revealed in the epstein files when they were released some 500 times she was asked [2:29:11] later you know what would you do to bring about justice and she pointed right back at the members of [2:29:17] congress on this committee and said that's not my job that's your job and it's it's very important to [2:29:23] underline one last time the democrats had to hold this hearing in west palm beach florida because [2:29:29] james comer the republican chairman of the house oversight committee would not hold a hearing in [2:29:34] washington in a full hearing of the oversight committee with the survivors of jeffrey epstein and [2:29:40] galane maxwell that is a shameful shameful abuse of authority by chairman comer if he really cared about [2:29:48] getting to the to the truth and the justice that is needed in this case he would have a full-blown hearing [2:29:54] in front of the cameras with everybody watching in front of the american people so people can hear [2:30:00] these stories hear this testimony firsthand unfortunately the democrats on the committee had [2:30:05] to travel all the way down to palm beach florida and hold this hearing here as a field hearing in [2:30:10] order for the public to hear from these survivors we're really grateful that everybody was able to tune [2:30:14] here and tune in to our coverage here i'm really grateful that my friend katie fang was able to [2:30:19] join our coverage my friend tara paul mary was able to join this coverage and we'll have much more [2:30:23] later today on the jim acosta show but wanted to make sure that we brought this to you live we made a [2:30:29] special trip down here to palm beach florida just so we can make sure this gets out there uh to the [2:30:34] american people didn't see a lot of the corporate media covering this didn't see a lot of the legacy [2:30:38] media covering this that's why it's so important to support independent media the bbc is here [2:30:44] they're covering it where are all the other networks covering this i saw the bbc is doing [2:30:48] this why is it that that the british press is more interested in this than the national american [2:30:54] press that itself is a travesty so important to support independent media in the united states [2:31:00] while we still have it uh but in the meantime i'm reporting live from west palm beach florida [2:31:05] i'll see you later today thanks for tuning in thanks for watching he's on the record jim acosta live