Epstein victims want the list released too
Victims spoke at a press conference to call on Trump and Congress to release all documentation the government has related to Epstein
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse stood with Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) on the Capitol steps, urging Congress to compel the Justice Department to release its Epstein files. Massie said a discharge petition to force a vote needs two additional Republican signatures if all Democrats sign; House leaders prefer to continue the Oversight Committee probe, which released more than 30,000 pages Tuesday that CBS said were largely already public.
Anouska De Georgiou said “the days of sweeping this under the rug are over,” calling the proposal “so essential” and asking members to vote to end secrecy around abuse of power.
Marina Lacerda, identified in the 2019 New York indictment as “Minor Victim 1,” spoke publicly for the first time, saying she met Epstein at 14 and describing the abuse as going from “a dream job to the worst nightmare.” She urged public release with victims’ names redacted, and unredacted access for survivors, arguing that document review could aid healing and accountability.
Haley Robson, noting she is a Republican, invited President Trump to meet survivors and asked Congress to “lift the curtain” on the files, calling disclosure “a huge component of healing.”
Jena-Lisa Jones said fear kept her silent until 2019 and asked lawmakers to pass the bill, emphasizing the issue is not about party.
Courtney Wild asked why Epstein “was so protected” and urged a full accounting of who enabled him.
Annie Farmer, who testified at Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2021 trial, called a thorough public review “an important step” for survivor healing and for preventing future failures, and asked the public to stand with the victims.
Lisa Phillips said survivors are discussing a master list of “people within Epstein’s orbit,” stressing it would be survivor-led; she later cautioned they are unsure how—or whether—to release such a list publicly due to legal risks.
Attorney Brittany Henderson supported transparency with protections, noting some clients fear that releasing names could endanger women trafficked from abroad.
In the political backdrop, Trump labeled the push a “Democrat hoax,” while Massie and Khanna argued that the committee’s document dump is insufficient and that Congress should order a comprehensive release. Survivors said their effort is not political.
Key open items now are whether House leaders will allow a vote, whether two more Republicans sign onto the petition, and what, if anything, the Justice Department will provide beyond Tuesday’s release.