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Victims of Jeffrey Epstein delivered emotional testimonies of sexual abuse on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, urging lawmakers to release further documentation related to the convicted sex offender.
Lisa Phillips, one of the survivors, disclosed that the group has initiated a confidential compilation of Epstein associates believed to be complicit in the abuse.
“We will confidentially compile the names we all know were regularly in the Epstein world,” she stated. “It will be done by survivors, and for survivors.”
The event was convened by U.S. legislators advocating for increased public access to files from the Epstein investigation.
During the Wednesday news conference, lasting two hours, nine female accusers recounted their experiences and the abuse they endured at the hands of the disgraced financier.
Ms. Phillips implored the Department of Justice to release all documents and information pertaining to the investigation, acknowledging that many victims fear potential repercussions if they publicly disclose names.
A legal representative for the accusers added that they were fearful of potential lawsuits or attacks, citing the lack of protection afforded to them initially.
Marina Lacerda, speaking publicly for the first time, revealed that she worked for Epstein from the age of 14 until she was 17, when the disgraced financier deemed her “too old.”
“I was one of dozens of girls that I personally know who were forced into Jeffrey’s mansion… in New York City when we were just kids,” she said.
“A friend of mine in the neighborhood told me that I could make $300 to give another guy a massage,” Lacerda recounted, becoming visibly emotional. “It went from a dream job to the worst nightmare.”
Liz Stein, a former plaintiff against Epstein and Maxwell who now serves as a survivor mentor and policy advisor, told the BBC that her presence at the Capitol rally was to “humanize survivors,” expressing frustration over their continued marginalization.
“It’s really important for us all to remember that this is a crime. It’s a crime of sex trafficking. This isn’t a political issue, but it’s being politicized because of the people involved,” Ms. Stein stated.
Annie Farmer, 46, stated at the rally that she was taken to New Mexico at the age of 16 to spend a weekend with Epstein. She added that her sister was also flown there and reported the abuse, but no action was taken.
“We still do not know why that report wasn’t properly investigated, or why Epstein and his associates were allowed to harm hundreds, if not thousands, of other girls and young women,” she said.
Chauntae Davies addressed a question regarding the relationship between Trump and Epstein, noting that the sex offender’s “biggest brag forever was that he was very good friends with Donald Trump.”
“He had a framed picture of him on his desk, with the two of them,” she said.
Trump acknowledged a friendly relationship with Epstein, but stated that they had a falling out in the early 2000s due to the financier poaching employees from the spa at Trump’s Florida golf club.
“This is a Democrat hoax that never ends,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday when asked about the nearby news conference.
He said “nobody is ever satisfied” with the files that have been released, adding that the call for more releases is a distraction from his record in office.
“Really, I think it’s enough,” Trump said.
On Tuesday evening, 33,000 pages and several videos were made public by the House Oversight Committee, which has subpoenaed the justice department and Epstein estate. Most of those, however, were already in the public domain.
The top Democrat on the committee, Robert Garcia, said: “Don’t let this fool you.
“After careful review, Oversight Democrats have found that 97% of the documents received from the Department of Justice were already public.
“There is no mention of any client list or anything that improves transparency or justice for victims.”
It is believed that the Department of Justice has about 100,000 pages of material on Epstein.
The release on Tuesday followed last month’s publication of the Department of Justice interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex-trafficker and accomplice of Epstein.
In the transcripts – which run to 300 pages, some heavily redacted – Maxwell said that while she believed Trump and Epstein were friendly in social settings, she did not think they were close friends.
Two members of the House, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California, are trying to force a vote on compelling the justice department to release all documents in the case.
They were gathering signatures on Wednesday and will need the support of 218 lawmakers to prevail. That means six Republicans must support the plan.
“It’s shameful this has been called a hoax. This is not a hoax,” Massie said. “There are real victims to this criminal enterprise and the perpetrators are being protected because they are rich and powerful.”
The White House and Republican congressional leaders oppose the release of all of the files, saying it could expose the identities of innocent people.
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