WASHINGTON — With tears, anger, and defiance, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday to demand the release of Justice Department files on the late financier’s trafficking network — files they say could finally expose who protected Epstein and allowed his abuse to continue unchecked.
“This is not a hoax. It’s not going to go away,” said Marina Lacerda, a key witness in Epstein’s 2019 indictment. Lacerda, who helped put Epstein behind bars before his death in custody, urged lawmakers to act so that “the next generation” won’t suffer the same fate.
The press conference brought together multiple survivors, including Anouska De Georgiou, Chauntae Davies, Danielle Bensky, Haley Robson, Jena-Lisa Jones, and Courtney Wild, who recounted deeply personal stories of abuse. Many first encountered Epstein as teenagers.
“I had never been more scared in my life than I was that first time that he hurt me,” said Jones, who met Epstein at 14. “Sometimes I still feel it was my fault this happened.”
Wild was blunt: “It’s time for us to see behind the curtain. Why was Jeffrey Epstein so protected? Who is still being protected? And who protected them all?”
Their plea comes as bipartisan pressure builds in Congress. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna have launched a discharge petition to force a vote compelling the DOJ to release the Epstein files. Four Republicans — Massie, Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert — have signed on. If all 212 Democrats join, only two more Republican votes would be needed to reach the 218 threshold.
“I hope my colleagues are watching this press conference,” Massie said. “What if this was your sister? What if this was your daughter?”
Khanna framed the fight as a moral one: “Today we stand with survivors, we stand against big money, we stand to protect America’s children.”
Yet the White House and GOP leadership remain opposed. Speaker Mike Johnson told Republicans in a closed-door meeting not to back Massie’s effort, claiming the files could compromise victims’ privacy. Instead, he pointed to the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing probe — which this week released tens of thousands of DOJ documents, though Democrats on the panel said 97% were already public and did nothing to advance accountability.
For survivors, the stakes could not be higher. Many directed their words at Trump himself, who dismissed the press conference as part of an “Epstein hoax” designed to distract from his administration’s successes.
“Mr. President, Donald J. Trump, I am a registered Republican — not that that matters, because this is not political,” said Haley Robson. “I invite you to meet me in person so you can understand this is not a hoax. We are real human beings. This is real trauma.”
Attorney Bradley Edwards, who has represented over 200 survivors, urged lawmakers to act. “While we have seen the documents, you haven’t. And when you see them, you’re going to be appalled,” he said.
Epstein’s arrest in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and his death a month later left countless questions unanswered about the scope of his network. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in recruiting underage girls. But survivors say accountability remains incomplete — until the public learns who else enabled, funded, or shielded Epstein.
As chants of “stand with survivors” echoed outside the Capitol, the message from the women was clear: their stories will no longer be dismissed, minimized, or politicized.
“The days of sweeping this under the rug are over,” said De Georgiou. “We are no longer weak. We are no longer powerless. And we are no longer alone.”
