Epstein Survivors Testify LIVE: Did Trump Know? | House Oversight Hearing in Palm Beach

0:00 Here

0:06 he's on the road.

0:07 He's on the record.

0:09 Jim Aosta live

0:17 down.

0:16 I'm running for Congress against Lois Frankle.

0:22 All right.

0:22 Hey everybody.

0:22 Welcome to the Jim Aosta show.

0:24 This is a special live edition.

0:26 We are live in the West Palm Beach

0:28 uh city hall here in West Palm Beach, Florida.

0:31 And in just a few moments, uh there is going to be a spotlight hearing

0:36 as they call it uh up on Capitol Hill.

0:38 A remote hearing uh held by the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.

0:42 Uh they're going to be talking

0:44 to and hearing from uh survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.

0:48 Uh this is going to be going on for a couple of hours and so you're going

0:52 to hear some very powerful testimony from some

0:55 of these survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ela Maxwell.

0:59 And sitting next to me uh in the press

1:02 uh area of this hearing room is Katie Fang.

1:06 Hi everybody.

1:06 The

1:06 wonderful Katie Fang.

1:07 She's here with me.

1:08 And Katie, tell us a little bit about

1:11 what you think we're going to see this morning.

1:12 I think this is a really important moment uh for the survivors.

1:16 uh you know they're they're calling

1:18 this survivors fight for justice and you know

1:21 I thought it was important to come down here because you know I and I

1:24 know you you as well you're in this area but you know people have

1:27 really been clamoring for not just the truth to come out but for justice

1:32 and they're not getting it right now and you've gone as far as to sue

1:37 the department of justice to get access to for all of us to get

1:40 access to the remaining Epstein files they're holding on to set the scene for us

1:44 set the stage for us what we're going to and why this is so important.

1:47 I think we should mention that it's incredibly

1:49 important that we're doing this in Palm Beach.

1:52 Yeah, we are literally down the street from Jeffrey Epstein's home,

1:56 which he had here, where he perpetrated so many of his horrific crimes.

2:00 We're also down the street from Mara Lago,

2:03 which we also know is inextricably intertwined

2:06 with the Epstein orbit, the Epstein elite.

2:09 Convicted felon Donald Trump himself mentioned a minimum of 38,000 times so far.

2:15 And I have to say so far, Jim, because we haven't had access to everything,

2:19 but what's really big about today is we're going

2:23 to hear publicly from the victims and the survivors.

2:27 And I expect it to be emotional and I expect

2:30 it to be incredibly powerful testimony about what they've gone through.

2:35 But I also think when it comes to justice,

2:37 I also expect to hear some damning

2:39 recrimination against this administration and this Department

2:42 of Justice that refuses refuses to release

2:45 the entirety of the Epstein files with proper reductions.

2:48 Yeah.

2:49 And Katie, I mean, Todd Blanch is now the acting attorney general.

2:52 He's obviously auditioning for the role permanently.

2:55 Every single damn day.

2:57 That's right.

2:57 And he has basically said,

2:58 "You're not getting any more Epstein files." And I mean I

3:02 mean just to put a uh an exclamation mark on this, I

3:05 think it was yesterday Donald Trump was praising Todd Blanch

3:07 and saying that Todd Blanch kept his ass out of jail,

3:10 I think were the words he used.

3:12 You know, I I suppose that has to do

3:14 with the January 6 case and the classified documents case.

3:18 It sure as hell might be this case, too.

3:20 I want to remind people though,

3:21 the reason why we get to call him convicted felon Donald

3:23 Trump is he has been convicted in New York with 34 felonies.

3:28 And that was actually with Todd Blanch

3:31 and Emil Bo as his criminal defense lawyers.

3:34 So he's really not the one that's competent.

3:37 But I really think the thing he's hitting

3:39 it out of the ballpark, Jim, is loyalty.

3:42 He is battle tested in the eyes of Donald Trump and that's

3:45 the reason why he knows that Tom Blanch will protect him.

3:49 He's a true body man if you think about it, right?

3:51 He's really protecting him and keeping him

3:53 from getting more exposure in the Epstein piles.

3:55 And there there are tons of questions.

3:57 I mean, Donald Trump is mentioned 38,000

3:59 times in the Epstein Files and counting.

4:01 And I think it's like more times than God is mentioned in the Bible.

4:05 It's more I think it's as much or more

4:06 than Jeffrey Epste is mentioned in the Epstein Files.

4:10 And but we need to put the focus

4:12 on the survivors here because they have been through so much.

4:16 They testifi I mean, they didn't testify up on Capitol Hill.

4:18 They they did that really dramatic press conference up on Capitol Hill

4:22 um when they were trying to get that passed through Congress,

4:25 that legislation that would force the administration

4:28 transparency.

4:29 Yeah.

4:29 And but they haven't really done as much of this.

4:32 So this is incredibly public and I think

4:34 it's um why it's significant and think about it.

4:37 We're not going to have any Republicans.

4:38 For Republicans to claim that they want transparency

4:41 and that they are hellbent in protecting people,

4:44 you know, they're not even here.

4:46 I mean, this is the reason why it took

4:48 House oversight Democrats led by people like Congressman Robert Garcia.

4:51 I just saw my good friend Jasmine Crockett.

4:53 She's here already, too.

4:54 Wow.

4:55 She's here as well.

4:55 She's here.

4:56 She flew in, guys.

4:57 This is the thing that I think people need

4:59 to realize when we have to go and vote.

5:02 We vote for accountability.

5:03 Who's the ones that are doing the work?

5:04 It's the Democrats that are doing the work, people.

5:06 They are flying here to Palm Beach.

5:08 They are putting this hearing out so that people

5:11 can hear and witness in real time what has happened.

5:14 And this is incredibly important, Jane.

5:15 Yeah.

5:16 And let's set the scene here.

5:17 Let's show you you guys what we're looking at right now.

5:19 I'm gonna see I'm Forgive me if I I'm operating my own camera here.

5:24 But, you know, it's this is the the modern times.

5:26 This is how we're doing things now.

5:27 But you can see the panel up there.

5:28 It says oversight Dem survivors fight for justice exposing

5:31 Epstein's crimes in Palm Beach and across the world.

5:34 And and this is what it looks like in this hearing room.

5:37 It's a big hearing room.

5:38 The survivors are going to be testifying at that table there.

5:42 We just saw um Robert Garcia.

5:44 Oh, he's here.

5:45 We saw uh Dave Min, we saw um Summer Lee, we saw Melanie Stanbury.

5:51 Um we I mean we have a really It's a who.

5:54 It's a who's who of of people who care.

5:57 Yeah.

5:57 And I just saw uh some pretty tight security come through here.

6:00 Some heavily armed police officers are here.

6:03 That's right.

6:03 And so, you know, one of the things that the survivors

6:05 have had to deal with, they've had to deal with death threats.

6:08 They've had to deal with harassment.

6:10 Well, it's because Trump has called it a hoax.

6:11 Trump has called it a Democratic hoax.

6:13 Yeah.

6:14 It's It's unreal.

6:15 And you were saying earlier, Katie,

6:16 just how close we are to the Epstein the old Epstein house.

6:20 My producer and I, we drove past that property and it was bulldozed.

6:25 They they they bulldozed it like four or five

6:27 years ago and somebody else bought the property.

6:29 They rebuilt a house there and so on.

6:31 And so, you know, there aren't

6:33 that many remnants of Jeffrey Epstein physically here,

6:36 but it's almost as though he his shadow is hanging over large for decades.

6:43 And that's what I want to remind people about.

6:44 This is stuff that we in South Florida

6:46 have been grappling with since before 2000, okay?

6:51 Because this was going on.

6:52 It was one of the worst kept secrets.

6:54 And again, the protection that is afforded to people with money,

6:56 means, and influence.

6:57 This is the stellar example as we see Trump evade accountability,

7:01 as we now see the fact that last week

7:04 I was invited to preview the Epstein Trump reading room.

7:07 Oh, yeah.

7:07 That's right.

7:08 Yeah, we did that.

7:08 I went with Danny Benky, um, who will be testifying today at this hearing.

7:12 And she's great.

7:13 And, and let me tell you something, to be in that room

7:17 and to be amongst 3,437 volumes

7:21 of just what we have so far

7:23 and to weigh more than 17,000 pounds of evidence right there,

7:27 Jim, and to only have two people so far,

7:30 only Jeffrey Epste and only Gullen Maxwell.

7:32 That is a massive problem for justice.

7:35 It's a huge problem.

7:36 And I mean, it seems to me, you know,

7:38 if there's no problem lurking in those other 3 million or whatever,

7:42 you know, the number is files, what are you hiding?

7:44 What's what's going on here?

7:45 What's the big deal?

7:47 Um, and so it seems to me that there's there

7:49 is a cover up that is still going on right now.

7:52 And it they're violating the law.

7:54 Every That's why I sued.

7:55 Yeah.

7:55 So, as of December 19th, 2025,

7:58 we were supposed to receive from the Department of Justice pursuant

8:01 to a federal law the Epstein files with only certain redactions.

8:07 And listen, I I can't do my job as a journalist

8:10 if I can't actually see what is beneath those improper redactions,

8:13 which is part of the reason why the special

8:15 master is so important in this lawsuit that I have,

8:17 because a special master could actually call the balls and stripes.

8:20 I was going to say, how does that work?

8:21 So, the DOJ would say, "Here's here's one of the documents.

8:24 this is what's been redacted.

8:25 The special master can compare it to the law and say, "Nope,

8:28 that's not a proper redaction." And then order it

8:30 to be released to the public because we know

8:32 they're protecting people that they're not supposed to protect

8:34 and then they're violating the confidentiality of victims and survivors.

8:37 Yeah.

8:38 And there have been lies after lies.

8:39 I mean, you had Howard Lutnik, the commerce secretary, uh,

8:42 say that he hadn't really he hadn't been to the Epstein island.

8:45 And Comr didn't let it be videoed.

8:48 They didn't put him under oath.

8:49 That was Comr's decision.

8:50 That was the chairman of the committee.

8:51 I want to make sure that's clear.

8:52 And we need to make it very clear that there

8:54 are no Republicans who are expected to be here.

8:56 Correct.

8:56 It's just the Democrats on the committee.

8:58 And Chairman Comr has refused to have this kind of hearing up on Capitol Hill.

9:02 That's because Donald Trump is the deacto speaker of the House.

9:05 He controls what's happening in the House of Representatives right now.

9:08 Yeah.

9:08 Comr issued that memo to House oversight

9:10 that we saw that said none of the formal

9:13 none of the formal committee hearings where they

9:15 can do motions because remember they did that.

9:16 Summer Lee got that subpoena to the DOJ.

9:19 That's how he got subpoenas out.

9:20 And Comr now wants to play fast and loose with the rules and says,

9:23 "Let's have these informal gettogethers where it's not

9:25 under oath and we don't actually have the rules

9:28 and we'll just let people sit around and what

9:30 braid each other's hair." I mean, come on.

9:31 People need to do work in Congress.

9:33 And this is why I'm proud that the House

9:34 Oversight Dems are doing something about this.

9:36 No, it's it's so important.

9:37 And it's been a game.

9:39 They've been playing games on the Republican side for months now.

9:42 They have Bill and Hillary Clinton come in and testify,

9:44 but not Donald and Melania Trump who are photographed

9:47 over and over again with Jeffrey Epstein and Galain Maxwell.

9:50 How about Steve Bannon?

9:51 That man's name's all files.

9:53 He's not in there.

9:54 And you know what's crazy is what it took to get

9:56 Pam Bonnie to roll up in a couple of weeks.

9:58 She's supposed to show up for her depo supposed to.

10:00 Yeah.

10:01 Yeah.

10:01 Let's see what she actually does when she shows up.

10:04 Right.

10:04 And she was fired just a few weeks ago.

10:06 We still don't know really the circumstances behind that.

10:09 Is it does it have something to do with the Epstein files?

10:11 you know, she was the one who said, "They're on my desk." You know,

10:14 which is why when I was at the reading room last week and it took two floors.

10:20 Unreal.

10:19 And it took 3,437 volumes.

10:23 How can you possibly say you have the Fs and Files on your desk?

10:26 She didn't know what she was talking about.

10:27 She was lying.

10:29 Yeah.

10:29 She didn't know.

10:30 She was lying to the American people.

10:32 Yeah.

10:32 Well, and there's been a lot of lying about this.

10:33 I mean, as you said, Trump said it's a hoax.

10:36 I mean, it's obviously not a hoax.

10:38 We would not be seeing a hearing like this of this nature if it were a hoax.

10:41 And

10:42 why would Melania do that presser if it was a hoax?

10:44 Why would there be like of the United States?

10:49 It's a hoax.

10:49 You don't acknowledge it.

10:50 Right.

10:51 Exactly.

10:51 Right.

10:52 And she comes out, she rolls out there, gives this big speech,

10:55 and people are looking at themselves saying, "What the hell is going on?

10:58 Why is the first lady doing this?"

10:59 But you notice she didn't exonerate her husband, right?

11:03 She didn't exonerate Donald Trump during that press conference.

11:05 No, she did not.

11:06 She took care of herself.

11:07 She did.

11:07 She was not having anything to do with him.

11:09 And Trump keeps saying, "I've been exonerated.

11:11 I've been exonerated." Nobody till we haven't seen everything.

11:15 You haven't been exonerated.

11:16 We haven't seen anything.

11:17 The other thing that pisses me off is

11:19 there's been no accountability in the United States.

11:23 You know, the Brits, they go out and they arrest former Prince Andrew.

11:26 You know, he's brought in Tom Thomas Mandlesson as well.

11:30 And then they've opened um two new

11:32 criminal investigations in France relating to Cornell Norway.

11:36 I mean, there's accountability that's happening and and it is in large

11:39 part because a lot of these victims and survivors are so brave.

11:42 Yeah.

11:42 They are going across the world and they are speaking out and they're telling

11:46 their stories and that's the reason why we

11:48 actually see movement in other countries right now.

11:50 Incredible.

11:51 Well, Katie, I know you're going to be watching this.

11:53 Uh your expertise is invaluable in all of this.

11:56 We're seeing some of the members show up right now.

11:58 Yeah.

11:58 Yeah.

11:59 Two more two more members of Congress just rolled in right now, too.

12:01 Great.

12:02 Oh.

12:02 Oh, that's uh Congressman Christian Morphy.

12:05 Congresswoman Presley.

12:06 Is that Presley?

12:07 Ayanna Presley.

12:08 We just saw Congresswoman Ayanna Presley come in.

12:10 She's joining the members of Congress behind the Dies.

12:12 They will be coming out and they will be sitting here

12:15 um and they will be facing the witnesses that are testifying today.

12:21 You know, I do want to know

12:22 and I'm I'm hopeful because it hasn't been confirmed.

12:25 I was hoping that maybe we could hear from some retired law enforcement.

12:29 Oh, yes.

12:29 that that is local.

12:30 That could explain how they try so damn hard to bring accountability from a law

12:35 enforcement perspective and they kept on getting

12:37 stifled by the DOJ or by other powers.

12:41 I think that's important.

12:42 I think people need to understand this has been going on since 2000,

12:45 early 2000s in the investigation that resulted

12:47 in a[ __] sweetheart plea deal in 2008.

12:50 Right.

12:51 Yeah.

12:51 I mean, Alex Aosta, he's not going to be anywhere near here.

12:53 As I like to say, no relation.

12:55 I know, right?

12:56 that.

12:57 But he's the one who Yeah, we we checked the family tree.

13:00 Uh and and I think we're in the clear.

13:03 Um but he's the one who gave that sweetheart

13:05 deal and he he was brought in to testify,

13:07 but it was behind closed doors.

13:08 They've done a lot of this behind closed doors and that's why

13:11 this hearing is so important and such a big deal.

13:14 Um well Katie, I'm going to what I'm going to do right now,

13:16 I'm going to switch out.

13:17 We're going to have Tara Paul Mary sit in here in just a second.

13:19 That was the wonderful Katie Fang.

13:20 I think what I'm going to do here is show the room here

13:25 and just give everybody a sense as to the landscape of what's going on.

13:29 So, this is a this is the West Palm Beach City Hall

13:32 in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida.

13:35 And as you can see, it's a pretty big room here.

13:38 Lot of people here are already starting to gather.

13:40 A lot of press.

13:42 I'm wondering if the major news networks are going to be here.

13:44 I don't see them yet.

13:46 Uh but a lot of these members of Congress are

13:49 going to be filing in shortly uh to hold this hearing.

13:52 It's going to start in about 17 minutes and um we'll be bringing it to you live.

13:59 So hang in there.

13:59 How are you?

14:00 Uh stay tuned.

14:01 We're going to bring it to you live.

14:02 And now joining me here on the scene is the wonderful Tara Paul Mary.

14:07 She is obviously very well known to our viewers

14:10 because she comes on all the time and

14:13 how's it going?

14:14 Hosting the red letter.

14:15 Happy to see you.

14:17 Thanks.

14:16 And you know, we're just this is sort of a we're just improvising.

14:18 We're ad libing through this pregame to the hearing,

14:21 but it's so important, Tara, what we're about to see.

14:25 And it's while it's great to see you in person,

14:26 and we're smiling because it's a nice it's a nice

14:29 thing to see our colleagues in person and so on.

14:31 This is going to be a really powerful

14:34 and I think a tough a tough to watch hearing.

14:37 This is going to be hard to I mean, it's going to be important.

14:40 It's important viewing and necessary viewing,

14:43 but these folks have been through a lot.

14:44 These ladies have been through a lot.

14:46 You know, I've been thinking about it, Jim, and it's like all of the hearings

14:49 on Jeffrey Epste have been behind closed doors.

14:51 Yeah.

14:52 And we haven't seen the faces of these people, a lot of them men,

14:56 talking about their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

14:58 Like they are ashamed and afraid.

15:00 And the and Congress has given them a pass

15:03 by making this all behind closed door essentially.

15:07 And the people who should have been the first ones to be called are

15:11 in fact these survivors of Jeffrey Abste

15:13 because they are willing to show their faces.

15:15 They have been victims of crimes like really painful crimes.

15:18 Sex crimes are very very very difficult to process

15:24 and most people don't want to bear testimony to it.

15:26 But these women have been so incredibly brave.

15:29 They've been so incredibly willing to speak about their stories.

15:32 They are the witnesses to these crimes.

15:35 They are the evidence.

15:36 They are all of it.

15:37 And yet they have been secondass um

15:41 they've been secondass citizens in all of this.

15:44 They are this is a shadow hearing because it's not an actual like

15:47 it's because it won't be registered in the Library of Congress unfortunately.

15:51 Um the Republicans did not are not involved in this.

15:54 This is completely partisan.

15:56 It

15:57 thankfully is like feels very choreographed.

15:59 doesn't feel like a press like some sort of stunty uh press conference which

16:02 I was a little worried about but it it does feel like legitimate like

16:06 we even have a timer um for testimony but like I just hope that when

16:12 Democrats if they win back the house um that they will do this again.

16:17 Yes.

16:18 and on the in the halls of Congress and they will actually you know

16:22 real hearings real hearings um they will take their words as sworn

16:27 under oath which is what these survivors have already done.

16:30 they have g given their sworn testimony to the FBI

16:34 over and over and over again when in the first

16:38 you know and they've never been treated um they

16:42 have never been treated as if their testimony is valuable.

16:47 It is always treated as hearsay gossip.

16:50 Right.

16:51 And didn't Trump make some comment about that that they should

16:54 uh have to be sworn in or something like that and testify?

16:57 I mean, they've already done that and over again.

16:59 He's made all these cockamame excuses and he has not met with these survivors.

17:04 Uh, it's it's sad.

17:05 I mean, it really it like it the way they've been treated.

17:09 And I mean, I'm really happy to see a lot of members of like independent media.

17:15 We've got like Katie here, Katie Fang, Love Paris,

17:18 not a lot of like the big players in, you know,

17:21 mainstream media, which is actually really disappointing to me.

17:24 This is a really big deal

17:27 and the the the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have not been

17:30 paid their due and and they've always never been a part of this story and so I

17:35 Yeah.

17:35 Why?

17:35 I mean that that is disturbing.

17:36 I think we should talk about that.

17:38 The fact that the mainstream corporate legacy media, you know,

17:42 they they just don't give this the kind of coverage it should get.

17:45 No.

17:45 And they should be here.

17:46 I mean, where where are those guys?

17:48 They should be in this room right now.

17:49 They should be covering this live.

17:51 And you know, if it were I think if it were a Democratic president,

17:54 they'd be all over this

17:55 and because it's Donald Trump and they're afraid of Donald Trump and the FCC

17:59 and and all all that that they just

18:01 don't give this the coverage that it warrants.

18:03 They were all crowded outside of a snowy courthouse in uh upstate

18:07 or I guess what what town did the Clintons live in that they Chapqua there?

18:12 They were all crowded outside in the snow outside of Chapaqua

18:15 when the Clintons gave their two bit I don't recall.

18:19 I don't remember like answers, you know,

18:21 or denials and it was all behind closed doors.

18:25 Ridiculous.

18:25 Yeah.

18:26 Where why are they not all crowded outside right now?

18:28 Like again, these women hold all of the keys to the story

18:33 of Jeffrey Epstein and have never been given their proper respect or observance.

18:38 And many of them are afraid.

18:40 Right, Ter?

18:40 I mean, it's really hard for them to do this and speak out.

18:44 Uh, and and they've been threatened.

18:46 They've been harassed.

18:48 Um, there's somebody handing us some

18:50 I actually want to talk about this cuz What is this about?

18:52 Yeah.

18:52 What does this say?

18:53 Somebody just handed us.

18:55 Okay.

18:55 So, if you guys have any time, I did a really long um investigative podcast

19:00 on Jeffrey Epste in 2019 called Broken Jeffrey Epste.

19:03 And I I worked with Virginia Juy to like find witnesses to cooperate the crimes.

19:09 But this man that is mentioned in this document,

19:11 Barry Krisher, he was the Palm Beach State attorney

19:15 um at the time and he literally treated the victims

19:19 as if they were prostitutes under the influence of Alan Derswitz,

19:23 Jeffrey Epste's lawyer who he was a fanboy to.

19:26 Um and literally his deputy who was running this sham

19:30 grand jury investigation said there are no victims here.

19:35 Those were her words like that.

19:37 They looked up their MySpace pages to show

19:40 that these girls were like a lot of teenagers, drinking, had boyfriends,

19:44 and made them seem like they were teen[ __] Like that was their mo.

19:48 And they it was so it was so egregious what they did after parents were coming

19:54 and complaining to the Palm Beach police about what was going on at this house.

19:57 And there was so much overwhelming evidence that Michael Ryder,

20:01 who I think is a true hero, and I hope he's here,

20:03 but he was the Palm Beach Police Chief at the time,

20:05 he and um Joseph Carrie, sadly, he's the detective,

20:08 and he is dead right now, unfortunately.

20:11 But what they did is like they deserve canonization,

20:16 but he went over Barry Krish's head and went to this uh US attorney's office,

20:22 um I almost said Jim McG, you know what I'm talking about.

20:25 No relation, right?

20:26 Or We are not related.

20:28 Alex, I was mentioning this earlier.

20:30 No relation.

20:31 Been checked out.

20:32 Yeah.

20:32 So, he goes,

20:33 matter of fact, when Trump nominated Alex Aosta to be labor secretary,

20:36 he he said at a press conference that they made sure that we weren't related.

20:39 So, that's from not that he's always told the truth, but

20:42 if he was related, he would have better um he would have better judgment.

20:45 Um he would have that aostic clarity.

20:48 Um no, he he went to the US attorney

20:51 saying like this is an insane miscarriage of justice.

20:54 we cannot let this happen.

20:58 Um and and because of that um you know

21:03 they they picked up the case and this really wonderful

21:06 attorney Maria Vapana who I did have a really

21:09 strong like I I struggled with her because

21:11 there was a part of me that like kind of hated her a little bit.

21:13 Like I was like knocking on doors and like trying to figure out like why would

21:17 this story like why would they drop the ball on this story?

21:19 Why would she go from 80 like 80 counts, you know,

21:23 like almost 100 pages of of indictment documents and go down

21:27 to like kicking it back to the state level to just,

21:31 you know, one count of soliciting a minor prostitution?

21:34 Like, how does that happen?

21:35 And I I mean, is it her fault?

21:39 No.

21:39 They've just gotten royally hosed through all of this.

21:42 Yeah.

21:42 But I I always wondered if she could have done more.

21:44 But I mean, at the end of the day, it's like it's very,

21:47 you know, I I I I know she tried and I know she was frustrated,

21:53 but I think the survivors felt really really disappointed by her because she was

21:58 essentially after a Costa told her like that they had to do a sweetheart

22:02 deal like she engineered that and the kept the the survivors out

22:06 of the loop about this and that is why they were able to, you know,

22:10 um to fight it in the Crime Victim's Rights Act case,

22:13 which actually ultimately led to the rearrest of Jeffrey Epstein.

22:18 I would love if you like like learned about

22:20 Courtney Wild who is like also a national hero.

22:23 There are so many freaking heroes in this story

22:25 and yet they don't get any recognition.

22:28 Um well I'm just showing the room one more time here because

22:32 in about six or seven minutes this hearing is supposed to get started.

22:36 It's a spotlight hearing a shadow hearing held

22:39 by the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.

22:42 You can see members of Congress.

22:43 They're already uh coming into the room and some of the survivors,

22:46 I believe, have already gathered here.

22:47 I recognize some of them uh from their brave

22:50 testimony uh and their brave uh appearances

22:53 up on Capitol Hill fighting for that legislation

22:56 uh that forced the release of the Epstein files.

22:59 A law that was signed by Donald Trump.

23:00 And by the way, a law that his administration is violating

23:03 right now because they've not released all of the Epstein files.

23:06 But in just a in just a few minutes, you're going to see this deis at the front

23:11 of the city council chamber here in West Palm Beach.

23:14 Uh these members on the House oversight committee on the Democratic

23:17 side will sit down uh chaired by Robert Garcia.

23:20 He's not the chair, but he's the he's

23:22 the ranking Democrat ranking member of the House Oversight Committee,

23:25 but he'll be chairing this hearing because he

23:27 is the most senior member of the committee here.

23:30 The Republicans are not having this hearing.

23:32 It's the Democrats.

23:33 But this is really important, guys,

23:35 because I don't Tara, correct me if I'm mistaken,

23:37 I don't think that we've ever seen something like this before

23:41 where the survivors are speaking out at a hearing like this.

23:44 Is that right?

23:46 No, they haven't had the opportunity to do this.

23:48 I mean, they have it's mostly just been either

23:50 in a courtroom or it's been in press conferences.

23:53 I mean, they I I even thought about the like

23:56 imagery of the the press conference outside of the capital.

24:00 They're literally like on the lawn.

24:02 That was where Marjorie Taylor Green was there.

24:04 Yeah, exactly.

24:04 The fly over that drowned out their voices.

24:07 Right.

24:07 Right.

24:07 Right.

24:07 Right.

24:08 All these uh what what kind of jets were they?

24:10 Those like they were like fighter jets.

24:12 Stealth bombers or something.

24:13 Something crazy like that.

24:14 Flying over drowning them out.

24:16 They're so far away from like the halls of power.

24:18 They haven't been invited in.

24:19 They haven't been given the time that they deserve, you know.

24:23 Um and so that is like that that that to me is like very symbatic of all that.

24:29 Hey, how are you?

24:30 Nice to see you.

24:32 Lauren Jim Acasta, nice to see you.

24:34 We're live on Substack and YouTube right now.

24:38 This is uh Lauren Hirs and doing great.

24:41 Maybe I can ask you for a few seconds here while I've got you.

24:43 This is all kind of fly by the seat of our pants here, but that's okay.

24:47 Lauren, tell us why this day is so happy to see you.

24:52 You know, we're really looking forward to hearing from survivors.

24:55 We want them to share their truths so that we

24:59 can make sure that the American public gets to truth,

25:03 transparency, and ultimate unjustice.

25:05 And we haven't had that up until we haven't, but we're ready for it.

25:08 And they're ready for it.

25:10 They're ready for this.

25:10 And they haven't really as a group done something like this before.

25:13 Is that correct?

25:14 Yeah, that was a lot of work at a congressional hearing like this.

25:17 They have not.

25:17 They have spoken together a number of times,

25:21 but this is really the first opportunity

25:23 that they've had to speak in a committee testimony.

25:26 And tell us your organization just so all the folks at home can know about it.

25:29 World Without Exploitation.

25:31 We are the largest national anti-trafficking coalition in the country

25:35 and we too are ready to get to the truth.

25:37 Thank you.

25:38 Everybody's ready to get to the truth.

25:39 It's been way too long.

25:40 Thank you, Lauren.

25:41 Very nice to talk to you.

25:41 Appreciate it.

25:42 Uh so guys, yeah, so we are getting very close to the start of this hearing.

25:47 Um and it's been a little, you know, we're doing this as best we can.

25:51 Sort of in the moment and so on.

25:53 Uh but, uh Lev Carnes is here too.

25:55 Lev, how you doing, man?

25:56 Good to see you.

25:57 Jim, uh good to see you out here.

25:59 Hold for a second.

26:00 Lev, why are you here?

26:01 Why is it so important that you're here?

26:03 Well, it's important to stand up for the survivors, for women's rights.

26:06 to me, especially the way Trump has

26:07 been abusing uh women constantly throughout his years,

26:11 but now even continuously with the woman reporters, the way he attacks them.

26:15 I think it's the most important thing

26:16 that we stand united behind these survivors, and there has to be accountability.

26:20 There has to be justice once and for all.

26:23 Yeah.

26:23 All right.

26:23 Well, love, thank you very much.

26:24 We're all going to watch here in just a few moments.

26:26 But yeah, uh and Katie Fang is still here.

26:29 Katie, hold on to this little mic here.

26:31 I know we're about to get going here,

26:33 but uh and forgive my camera work, everybody, but we're

26:35 forgive my my vertically challenged hike going on here.

26:38 Jim's gonna have to work on his quads right now.

26:41 I'll scooch down a little.

26:41 I could use the I could use all the help I can get,

26:44 but I mean, we're seeing some of the survivors start to gather in this room.

26:47 This is really important.

26:48 I think it's also important to note

26:49 that Virginia's brother and sister-in-law are here.

26:53 Wow.

26:53 And they're seated in the front.

26:55 And listen, they they know that Yes.

26:58 Yes.

26:58 and and and for for it to be in Palm Beach, this was the real kind of beginning,

27:04 the epicenter of of really the abuse for of Virginia.

27:08 So, for them to be here is incredibly powerful as well, I believe.

27:11 Yep.

27:12 The room's filling up.

27:13 And we still don't know about I mean, this is where we're not very far uh Katie

27:18 from where Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein used to party together.

27:21 That's right.

27:21 You know, all that infamous footage of them at these parties

27:24 and at Mara Lago currently living right now.

27:27 And Trump claimed he kicked Jeffrey Epste out

27:29 of Mara Lago because he was a creep.

27:30 And then he he claimed that he kicked him

27:32 out because he Jeffrey Epste was stealing his employees.

27:34 And yet there's and yet there's emails

27:36 by between Epstein and I believe it was Michael

27:39 Wolf wherein he disputed that claim that he

27:42 had been kicked out of Mara Lago from membership.

27:44 So come on, you know, right?

27:46 And there's also I mean there's also the the fact

27:48 that he's mentioned in the Epstein files 38,000 times.

27:51 There's also that letter, that creepy letter that Trump claims he did not write,

27:56 which I don't understand how that's even

27:58 possible if it was in the Epstein estate.

28:02 Uh, the birthday card.

28:02 That's right.

28:03 Like somebody traveled back in time and or something like that.

28:06 Never added up time machine.

28:08 This is why all of this is so important is to keep it in the forefront,

28:11 to keep it on the front burner.

28:13 Yeah.

28:13 And I I overheard Tara saying, and it's true.

28:15 We don't have mainstream legacy media covering this the way it should.

28:19 If there is an Achilles heel, ladies and gentlemen,

28:21 of Trump and this Republican party, it is the Epstein files.

28:24 And I don't understand why for all of the victims

28:27 that are brave to come and those that are not here,

28:30 why we're not fighting for them.

28:31 And and I don't know why mainstream media does not want

28:34 to elevate this and make this the center of the discourse, you know.

28:37 Well, I think it's and Katie, you and I have talked about this.

28:39 It's why independent media is so important because the corporate media,

28:42 the legacy media, they're running scared.

28:44 They're afraid of their broadcast licenses getting taken away.

28:47 They're afraid of their access to Trump way.

28:50 And so they don't want to they don't want to, you know,

28:52 disturb the uh the delicate feathers of Donald Trump.

28:56 Yeah.

28:56 They they want the access.

28:57 It's the access journalism that they want.

28:59 And we understand that for mainstream media that has immense value.

29:02 But for those of us that are here that are coming here on our own dime,

29:07 like spending the time to be here, you know, when they're not doing it,

29:11 this is important for people to understand that we

29:13 think that this is one of the priorities.

29:16 But we also cover the war and we cover the reconciliation

29:19 bill and we cover the the atrocities of immigration enforcement,

29:24 but we also think that this is one of the ones

29:26 that we need to keep in the spotlight constantly.

29:28 Absolutely.

29:29 Well, Katie, thanks for uh letting me throw you on.

29:31 Oh, it's all good for the moment.

29:34 Appreciate it.

29:34 But this looks like this hearing is about to get started, guys.

29:37 Uh stay right here.

29:38 We're going to continue this live coverage

29:40 of this spotlight hearing held by the House

29:42 Oversight Democrats to focus a spotlight

29:45 on the Jeffrey Epstein survivors at a congressional hearing.

29:49 This is technically a congressional hearing.

29:50 It is not a formal congressional hearing and that it's not

29:54 being shared by the Republicans who control the House of Representatives,

29:57 but this is a sneak preview of coming attractions, folks.

30:00 If the Democrats win the House,

30:02 these kinds of hearings will be held up on Capitol Hill.

30:05 right now because the Democrats don't control the House,

30:07 they have to come all the way here to Florida and hold this in West

30:10 Palm Beach to do this the way that they are doing it right now,

30:14 which is in the field to hear from these survivors.

30:17 But this is about, you can see some

30:19 of the members of Congress have taken their seats.

30:22 Uh you can see uh Congressman Superman of Virginia,

30:26 Maxwell Frost of Florida, uh uh Congressman Christian Mory of Illinois.

30:32 Um, my eyesight might be failing me, but I believe that's Congresswoman Summer

30:36 Lee of Pennsylvania and others are starting.

30:39 There's the chairman, Robert Garcia,

30:41 the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.

30:44 And so, when this gets started, folks, make no mistake,

30:47 we are going to bring this to you live

30:49 on the Jim Aosta show on all of our platforms.

30:52 So, if you're watching on Substack, thank you so much for being here.

30:55 Uh, if you're on YouTube, thank you so much for being here.

30:58 Um, and we're going to continue to do this uh until the end of this hearing.

31:02 And like we were saying, this is going to be some powerful testimony.

31:06 You are going to hear from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Dwayne Maxwell.

31:10 Some of those survivors are sitting at the witness table right now.

31:15 And I'm just going to show you Lauren Hirs,

31:17 who I spoke with just a few moments ago, one of the victims advocates.

31:21 Um, an attorney.

31:22 I see one of the attorneys uh for the survivors.

31:25 He is there um as well.

31:27 Um, and so this is this is a really important moment, folks.

31:31 Um, there's Congressman Walkenshaw of Virginia.

31:35 He is a brand new congressman who's on the oversight committee.

31:37 All right, sounds like Congressman Garcia is getting started.

31:40 So, let's take uh folks,

31:45 sounds like we're going to get started here in just a few moments.

31:47 Let me just take my seat.

31:50 So that's Congressman Garcia announcing that in about a minute this uh oversight

31:56 uh committee hearing of the oversight Democrats uh is going to get underway.

32:00 Keep the camera and uh we're going to keep the camera live right now.

32:05 Okay.

32:06 The feed from the oversight de Democrats is not up yet.

32:09 So we're going to keep this up.

32:10 But we're going to show you the room and show you what this looks like.

32:13 Forgive me if I'm speaking in kind of a hush tone here.

32:17 Uh just to give you a sense of the room one more time before we get started.

32:20 It started to fill in.

32:21 We've got members of the press.

32:22 Looks like more of the local press from the uh Miami,

32:27 West Palm Beach, South Florida area.

32:30 There are some folks from MS Now.

32:33 We see some of our friends from MS

32:35 Now are here to cover this very important hearing.

32:38 This is uh obviously an extremely important moment in the saga

32:43 of uh the Epstein files and we're now going to hear

32:47 from survivors who are going to speak publicly about what

32:50 they've been through and why all of this is so important,

32:53 why the files must be released.

32:55 I'm going to stop talking now.

32:56 We're going to bring this to you live now.

33:02 Thanks for watching.

33:08 I can.

33:28 Okay.

33:29 My understanding is that the feed is not up yet.

33:32 So, we're going to keep this up as long as we can.

33:36 Well, good morning everyone and I want to begin by opening up this hearing.

33:41 Of course, we're here in uh Palm Beach County and Oversight Democrats

33:46 are here because we're launching a new phase of our Epstein investigation.

33:50 Our committee of course has been on this over the last year.

33:54 Now, we're here, of course, at Palm Beach,

33:57 of course, just miles away from Mara Lago,

34:00 from key locations where this FC investigation

34:03 has taken us because from the very beginning,

34:05 we know that Florida has been a key place where so

34:10 much of the horrors and crimes of Jeffrey Epste Maxwell happened.

34:16 The survival of Jeffrey Epste deserve to be heard.

34:19 And as a committee, we should always have those stories.

34:22 And I want to thank him of course for being here today.

34:26 We know that many of our witnesses today that you'll

34:29 hear from were actually failed by their own government.

34:33 We will hear how the FBI ignored Maria Farmer's courageous report in 1996.

34:39 We will hear about Alison Costa, the future secretary.

35:04 Perfect.

35:21 Well, good morning everyone and I want to begin by opening up this hearing.

35:26 Of course, we're here in uh Palm Beach County and Oversight Democrats

35:31 are here because we're launching a new phase of our Epstein investigation.

35:35 Our committee, of course, has been leading on this uh over the last year.

35:39 Now, we're here, of course, in Palm Beach,

35:43 of course, just miles away from Mara Lago,

35:46 from key locations where this Epstein investigation

35:48 has taken us because from the very beginning,

35:50 we know that Florida has been a key place where so much

35:55 of the horrors and crimes of Jeffrey Epste and Gain Maxwell have happened.

36:01 The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein deserve to be heard and as a committee,

36:06 we should always uplift their stories.

36:08 and I want to thank them, of course, for being here today.

36:11 We know that many of our witnesses today that you'll

36:14 hear from were actually failed by their own government.

36:18 We will hear how the FBI ignored Maria Farmer's courageous report in 1996.

36:24 We will hear how Alex Aosta, the future Secretary of Labor at the time,

36:29 overruled some of his own prosecutors and work with Epstein's attorneys

36:33 to grant a sweetheart deal which allowed Epstein to continue assaulting women.

36:39 We will learn how Epstein continued to gain the system

36:42 and the law to prey on women expanding his trafficking network overseas.

36:48 And we will hear from people who have fought hard to bring him to justice.

36:53 We're also going to hear about a continued cover up which has harmed survivors.

36:58 How some have been doxed or put into danger,

37:01 ignored, revictimized, and betrayed by this government.

37:07 These stories are both horrific and outrageous,

37:11 but they should also inspire us to keep fighting for the full truth.

37:16 We're here because every American deserves equal justice.

37:20 It doesn't matter who you are, how powerful you are,

37:24 whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, how much wealth you may have.

37:29 If you hurt women and girls, you will be held accountable.

37:33 We should also be very clear that Epstein was not alone.

37:38 Others enabled him.

37:40 We know he was surrounded by lawyers,

37:42 accountants, private investigators, and assistants.

37:47 Many of those people who have been forced

37:49 to testify for the first time because of our investigation,

37:53 have given us key information,

37:55 whether it's been through depositions or interviews.

37:58 But some, even some that we've recently spoken with, were never contacted

38:04 by law enforcement in the 30 years since Maria Farmer's first report.

38:11 Why is it only now that we have begun these interviews,

38:15 these depositions, that folks are being contacted for the first time in decades.

38:23 And that should outrage every single American.

38:28 Some of these men enabled financial crimes.

38:33 Others fought to hide facts about this case

38:36 and to deny justice and closure for survivors.

38:40 All these people need to be called out and held accountable.

38:44 And these are failures of multiple

38:46 governments and administrations regardless of party.

38:53 Everyone has failed the public

38:55 and certainly everyone has failed their survivors,

38:58 especially those that sought justice and that had

39:02 the ability and courage to file reports because

39:06 we also know that so many others didn't

39:09 have that opportunity or the support to do so.

39:14 This is why we're here today.

39:16 Now, before I introduce our witnesses,

39:18 I want to briefly just mention a few things about the investigation.

39:22 Now, oversight Democrats launched our investigation when we forced a subpoena

39:27 for the full unredacted files from the Department of Justice last year.

39:32 And I especially want to thank Representative Summer

39:34 Lee for her leadership to get that actual done.

39:37 So, thank you, Congresswoman.

39:42 To this day, the Department of Justice continues

39:45 to break the law and defy that subpoena.

39:48 It's not just about the Transparency Act,

39:51 which is so critical to moving this debate and the truth forward,

39:55 but that subpoena and the defiance pushed us then, of course,

39:59 including with leadership from Congressman Roana to get

40:02 the Epstein File Transparency Act through the Congress.

40:06 But let's be very clear, the DOJ continues to withhold half of the Epstein

40:15 files have not been released to the public.

40:19 Now, we've heard testimony from Alysa,

40:21 former Attorneys General Bill Bar, Les Wexter,

40:24 Darren Endike, Richard Khan, folks that are key to the Epstein investigation.

40:30 We've heard from former President Clinton, Secretary Clinton,

40:33 Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik just last week.

40:36 And we have talked, of course, to survivors, witnesses, and whistleblowers.

40:40 And we have brought critical documents to light from Jeffrey Epstein's estates,

40:44 emails, photographs, videos.

40:47 We secured bank records, documents, and we've done all this without formal

40:53 committee subpoena power to properly conduct this investigation.

41:00 But we're undeterred and we're going to continue

41:02 to fight till they get the truth.

41:05 Today we're also oversight Democrats are also publishing a new report.

41:09 Now this report uses evidence obtained by our investigation including

41:13 and most importantly bank records that show how Alex Aosta's

41:17 sweetheart deal let epine build a global network using enablers

41:22 to bring in women who he could then exploit and abuse.

41:26 And this report is just the beginning

41:29 of numerous numerous reports and information

41:32 that we intend to put out over the course of the months ahead.

41:37 This hearing is about making one thing clear

41:39 and that is that no one is above the law.

41:41 Survivors matter and this committee

41:43 committee will continue to demand transparency.

41:46 Before I turn this over to our colleagues,

41:48 I want to thank Congresswoman Lois Frankle who

41:51 has been critical in this fight for many years.

41:54 Congresswoman Frank.

42:01 Congresswoman Frankle of course represents uh the community that we're in now.

42:06 I want to thank her for hosting us.

42:08 I also want to thank particularly West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James,

42:12 their staff, the county, West Palm Beach PD, all for their assistance today.

42:16 And I want to recognize Congresswoman Franle for a few brief remarks.

42:20 Thank Thank you, Mr.

42:21 and welcome everybody to West Palm Beach and we're

42:25 gathered here in a chamber that very near dear to me because I was mayor here

42:29 for eight years and I've had the honor of serving

42:32 as and I'm very proud to be

42:34 with my Democratic colleagues uh of the House Oversight Committee

42:38 of course the various witnesses and most importantly

42:42 the survivors whose courage and perseverance made this hearing possible.

42:47 And to the survivors, I want to say,

42:49 and I know I say this to everyone here, thank you.

42:52 Thank you for your strength.

42:54 Thank you for your resilience.

42:55 And thank you for your determination to tell

42:58 the truth even when the system failed you.

43:03 This hearing is long overdue.

43:05 Myself and Debbie Wam,

43:06 we have been asking for a hearing for many years here um for many

43:11 reasons I won't go into, but we're here today because it is right here, folks.

43:16 right here in Palm Beach County more than 20 years ago that the survivors

43:22 of Jeffrey Epstein's horrific crimes were

43:25 first denied justice with devastating results.

43:30 In 2005, the Palm Beach Police Department, led by then Chief Michael Ryder,

43:35 I'm giving him a shout out, a good guy.

43:38 He uncovered a deeply disturbing pattern of predatory

43:42 sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates,

43:47 targeting women, of course, and young girls.

43:50 Many recruited from our local high schools right here in Palm Beach County.

43:55 The police did their job.

43:56 They listened to the survivors.

43:58 They built a serious case.

44:00 Then they brought it to then state attorney Barry Krisher.

44:03 I call his name because his succeeding prosecutors are not involved.

44:10 But instead of filing charges, was overwhelmed by the power, by the wealth.

44:17 He sent the case to a grand

44:19 jury where prosecutors shockingly minimized the abuse, limited the witnesses,

44:25 and treated vulnerable young girls as if they were criminals.

44:29 And you can read that grand jury testimony yourself.

44:34 At the urging of Christian's prosecutors,

44:37 the grand jury returned just one count against Epstein,

44:40 and it is jaw-dropping solicitation of prostitution,

44:45 punishable by up to 60 days in jail.

44:49 How crazy and wrong, an abomination, if you ask me.

44:55 Disappointed and alarm, Chief Ryder took the case to federal authorities.

44:59 And what was what followed was more shock and awe to the justice system.

45:04 In 2008, as we've heard, uh, Aassa approved a secret,

45:08 shameful nonprosecution deal without notifying the survivors and then

45:12 sent the case back to Palm Beach County.

45:14 Epstein was allowed to plead guilty to solicitation of prostitution.

45:19 Solicitation of of uh for a minor for prostitution.

45:23 Really, that was that?

45:25 And then he got an 18-month sentence, which he served about 13 months,

45:30 federal immunity from prosecution here in South Florida,

45:34 immunity for unnamed co-conspirators, and work relief priv privileges.

45:41 Listen to this.

45:41 He had work relief priv privileges that allowed him to leave the jail

45:48 each day to continue his systematic sexual exploitation of women and girls.

45:53 And the most uh troubling also a deal was hidden

45:57 from the public and the full extent didn't come to light until reporting

46:01 from the Miami Herald and the Palm Beach Post who who

46:04 brought the fight to bring the grand jury records into the open.

46:08 Justice was denied without explanation.

46:10 Uh and listen, I'm hoping as we move forward,

46:13 these local prosecutors must be subpoenaed and they must be

46:18 questioned under oath because they I think they know the secret.

46:26 So, these survivors were abused first by a predator and then failed by a justice

46:30 system that too often protected wealth

46:32 and power over vulnerable women and children.

46:34 And let's be clear, folks, had prosecutors in Florida done their jobs,

46:39 most likely hundreds of young women might have been spared unimaginable harm.

46:45 So, we're here again.

46:46 We're going to continue to ask the questions,

46:49 questions that should have been answered years ago.

46:51 Uh, why was Jeff Jeffrey Epstein,

46:54 a serial predator who uses wealth and influence to exploit under

46:58 underage girls given little more than a slap of the wrist?

47:03 Uh, who else should be held accountable?

47:06 And what must we continue to do to make sure this never happens again?

47:11 We owe the survivors and the public the answers and more.

47:15 And with that, I thank you and I yield back.

47:19 Thank you.

47:19 Thank you, Congresswoman.

47:21 We're going to, of course,

47:22 uh hear some opening testimony uh from survivors and advocates who

47:26 will speak about the failure of our justice system to protect them,

47:30 others, and certainly to hold Epstein and so many others accountable.

47:34 I want to they're going to each provide some opening remarks.

47:36 I do want to introduce them uh briefly.

47:39 Uh we're going to hear from Danny Benky who is an advocate,

47:43 dance, teaching artist, choreographer, and Epstein survivor.

47:47 As an educator of the arts, Dany<unk>y's advocacy derives from creating a safer

47:51 world for her students and future generations.

47:54 She is a public speaker in hopes that by sharing her story,

47:57 we can get an inside perspective into grooming

48:00 and how abuse can happen and how systems fail people.

48:05 Danny was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in 2004 and 2005 when she was

48:10 just 17 years old and working as a dancer in New York City.

48:15 She has since spoken out about the government's handling

48:17 of the case and has pursued legal action and of course

48:21 um the amount of courage uh is is is incredible

48:24 and I want to thank of course Danny for being here.

48:27 We'll also hear from Rosa.

48:29 Uh Rosa is testifying under her first name

48:32 and under that name only just for her own safety.

48:35 She was recruited in Uspekiststan by a modeling agent co-conspirator

48:40 and brought to the US with promises of a career.

48:44 She met Jeffrey Epstein in 2009 and was abused over several years.

48:49 With her immigration status used to keep her from leaving,

48:53 Rosa is a fighter, a coach, a wife, and a stepmother.

49:01 And her courage, of course, is immense.

49:03 And we want to thank Rosa for for being here.

49:07 We're going to hear from Courtney Wild who was abused

49:10 by Jeffrey Epstein in Palm Beach beginning at the age of 14.

49:15 Courtney is a mom advocate and survivor.

49:19 She later brought a lawsuit against the federal government over

49:22 the nonprosecution agreement that allowed Epstein to avoid federal charges.

49:28 And she will speak about its lasting impact on survivors.

49:33 We're also going to hear from Jenna Lisa Jones,

49:36 who was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in Florida when she was 14 years old.

49:42 She has spoken publicly about her experience and about her disappointment

49:46 with the failure to fully release information related to this case.

49:50 She is a mom, a wife, and a founding survivor of Survivors, Inc.

49:55 We're going to also hear from Spencer Kuven,

49:58 who is an attorney who represented some

50:00 of the earliest survivors to come forward against Epstein,

50:03 and he spent years advocating on behalf of victims.

50:06 He will speak about the failures in the original

50:08 prosecution and the impact those failures have had on survivors.

50:13 We'll also hear from Lauren Hirs, who's a former prosecutor and an advocate

50:17 working to combat trafficking and exploitation.

50:21 She will discuss the ongoing efforts by survivors

50:23 and advocates to seek accountability and justice.

50:26 We will also hear from Maria Farmer by by video who's

50:31 the first person to report Jeffrey Epstein's abuse to authorities in 1996.

50:36 She'll be providing video testimony.

50:39 Finally, Sky and Amanda Roberts are here.

50:43 We all of course know their incredible courage

50:46 and they'll be reading a brief statement as well.

50:49 We will continue, of course, to honor Virginia's memory,

50:53 her legacy, and her tireless fight for justice.

50:57 I want to especially thank the witnesses

50:59 for being here and for your enormous courage.

51:03 You are doing obviously a service not just

51:07 to all of the women and girls that have suffered,

51:12 but to every single American woman and American girl in this country

51:18 who need to be believed and who need to know

51:22 that when they report a horror against them that their government is

51:26 going to believe them and is going to stand up for them.

51:29 And so, thank you for your courage today.

51:32 I now we're going to um hear a uh a video that uh Maria Farmer wanted to uh

51:40 she wanted folks to hear about and so we're going to go ahead and and play that.

51:44 So, my name is Maria Farmer.

51:46 I am the whistleblower who reported Jeffrey Epstein, Helen Maxwell,

51:50 Les Wexner, and others to the FBI 30 years ago in 1996.

51:57 Today, I apologize for my appearance.

51:59 I was not well enough to attend this hearing

52:01 in person and have recently been released from the hospital.

52:05 That's the result of 30 years of fighting.

52:09 For three decades, I carried a weight that no survivor should ever have to bear.

52:13 I reported what I believed were heinous crimes against children

52:16 and these individuals responsible were

52:18 involved in an international pedophile ring.

52:21 I reported their crimes in real time

52:23 and the government continues to ignore me to this day.

52:26 In 1996, I reported Epstein and his co-conspirators

52:30 to my local New York City 6 precinct.

52:33 The commanding officer told me local police

52:35 could only address the local arson crimes,

52:38 and he instructed me to immediately report

52:40 the whole story spanning several states to the FBI.

52:43 He told me that it was vitally important that I

52:46 tell the whole story to the FBI, which I did.

52:49 The FBI asked me questions,

52:50 said they were familiar with some of the perpetrators I identified,

52:53 and gave me every reason to believe they would respond.

52:57 That failure, that single moment when law enforcement refused to take action,

53:01 set off a cascade of injustice and grave repercussions to my sisters,

53:06 my family, and so many others,

53:08 and to me personally, including my health and well-being.

53:12 The FBI's decades of failure and inaction led to countless more girls

53:16 and young women suffering abuse and trauma that could have been prevented.

53:20 Individuals like Virginia Jafrey, Meska Deorgio, Shante Davies, Mara Cherton,

53:28 Danny Bensky, Jenna Lisa Jones, Ashley Rub, and Jennifer Rose among others.

53:35 Each survivor represents a life change forever.

53:38 suffering that could have been spared if the FBI had done their job in 1996.

53:44 The failures did not stop there.

53:46 In 2006, the FBI tracked me down, stating that they searched for me because they

53:52 knew I had reported Epstein 10 years earlier, and no one else had.

53:55 They urged me to testify in a federal

53:58 criminal trial against Epstein and his co-conspirators.

54:01 And they promised that they would get him this time.

54:04 I trusted them again, relied upon them again, and they betrayed me again.

54:09 Rather than following through with their promises,

54:11 the government offered Epstein a sweetheart

54:13 deal and shielded powerful individuals from accountability,

54:16 and they persist in granting special treatment to certain people to this day.

54:21 I have received death threats from Maxwell and her associates,

54:24 including one instance where they threatened to burn my apartment down,

54:28 and those threats have not stopped.

54:31 I have been subjected to more than three decades of ongoing harassment,

54:37 vicious challenges to my truthfulness,

54:40 and real danger from in internet instigators, trolls, and more.

54:46 Meanwhile, my numerous efforts to obtain my 1996 report

54:50 from the FBI have been rejected time and again.

54:53 In 2023, I wrote a letter to the government asking for an investigation

54:57 of the government's actions or inactions in response to my 1996 report.

55:03 The inspector general replied saying they were busy with other

55:06 things would get back to me and they never did.

55:09 I sent multiple foyer requests for my FBI report records

55:13 in January 2025 in response to my most recent request.

55:17 The government said that they would get back to me

55:19 in November of 2027, a delay of 3 years.

55:24 I finally received a letter saying they looked at my complaint,

55:27 took some kind of action,

55:28 and the matter was addressed, but what they did was a secret.

55:33 With no other choice,

55:34 I filed an administrative claim against the government, and then a lawsuit.

55:39 Since then, virtually nothing has happened,

55:41 and I'm left waiting and wondering what is next.

55:44 With the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act,

55:47 after years of efforts to get my records,

55:50 an FD71 form was released for the first time,

55:53 confirming just a small part of my 1996 whistleblower report

55:58 and vindicating some of what I had said for years.

56:02 However, the full extent of what I told the FBI was not in that document.

56:06 So, the release of the Epstein files provides only partial relief for me.

56:12 Where is the evidence I provided of my sexual

56:15 assault and that of my sister Annie?

56:18 Why won't the FBI release my full report?

56:21 The failures of those sworn to protect us protect us have overwhelmed me.

56:26 Doing my civic duty has caused me dearly.

56:29 The stress of this trauma, the government hiding and refusing to turn

56:33 over written confirmation of my 96 report along

56:36 with the ongoing harassment and death threats have contributed

56:39 to me developing serious health issues including Hodkins lymphoma,

56:44 a brain tumor, and recently Addison's disease.

56:49 In the last month, I have spent spent 23 nights in hospitals,

56:53 including multiple nights in the ICU.

56:57 Along with my health, it has robbed me of my career.

57:00 In 1996, I was fresh out of graduate school

57:03 and living a life that I had always dreamed,

57:05 creating and selling art in New York City.

57:08 When I was assaulted, threatened, held captive, my career was halted,

57:13 and the trajectory of my life was thrown off course.

57:16 So many others had their dreams shattered by these crimes,

57:19 and they could have been prevented.

57:21 individuals like Virginia Jafrey,

57:23 who is the backbone of this case and remains the inspiration behind this fight.

57:28 She's the reason my sister and I

57:29 came forward publicly so we could stand together.

57:32 She faced also relentless attacks to her credibility online.

57:37 Yet, she fought.

57:38 While Virginia may no longer be physically beside us,

57:41 she's been our shining star and guiding light and remains so today.

57:44 The rest of humanity owes it to her legacy to continue this quest.

57:49 We are still walking down the trail that Virginia blazed for us.

57:52 So, let me be direct about what we need.

57:56 The federal government owes us explanations.

57:59 Accountability for injuries caused and a promise

58:02 of systemic change when crimes against children are reported.

58:06 Accountability should start

58:07 with the government's acknowledgement and responsibility

58:10 for their repeated failures to act in response to my 1996 report.

58:15 The government needs to take responsibility

58:17 for endangering and injuring girls and young women.

58:20 The government needs to start telling the truth, face my lawsuit,

58:24 and be held to account to me and to all others who have been harmed.

58:29 Had the FBI done their job,

58:31 30 years of child sex abuse and trauma could have been avoided.

58:36 I want my full FBI file, including the 96 and 2006 reports, including my art.

58:46 We also need the FBI and the Department

58:48 of Justice to fully investigate every lead in this case.

58:52 We need investigation and prosecution

58:54 of everyone responsible, both men and women.

58:58 This includes the officials who enabled the 2008 sweetheart deal,

59:01 the other perpetrators, and the many co-conspirators,

59:05 and anyone who is currently shielding powerful individuals from justice.

59:10 No more protection for the guilty.

59:12 There must be no pardoning or communicate commuting commuting

59:15 the sentence of Maxwell who sexually abused me, my minor sister,

59:19 hurt so many girls and other young women

59:22 and personally threatened to kill me has shown no

59:24 remorse and has not has demonstrated no basis

59:28 on which to believe she would ever be truthful.

59:32 As the Epstein case whistleblower, I have waited three decades for justice.

59:37 It's a miracle I'm still fighting,

59:39 especially considering what the stress of three decades

59:42 of this case has done to my health and well-being.

59:45 I will keep fighting for justice and transparency for a better,

59:48 safer future for the next generation.

59:50 Thank you.

59:53 Well, thank you.

59:53 And obviously, um I know we don't often get to hear from uh from Miss Farmer

59:58 and we're just very grateful that she uh chose

1:00:01 to address obviously us and and and the country.

1:00:04 I also want to thank her sister Annie Farmer

1:00:07 who has been an incredible advocate or survivor of course

1:00:10 herself um and has really uh worked to share

1:00:14 her sister's story and her own story um when whenever possible.

1:00:17 We're going to hear some opening remarks also from Sky and Amanda Roberts.

1:00:21 And so I would ask them to uh join us here uh at the podium.

1:00:27 And I want to thank them also for for their courage and for being here.

1:00:39 Thank you, Representative Garcia, and all members here today.

1:00:42 We deeply appreciate the opportunity to be here.

1:00:44 Um, obviously wish Virginia was here to do this herself,

1:00:47 but I will do my best to keep it together and to get through this.

1:00:54 My name is Sky Roberts and I am the younger brother of Virginia Roberts Du Fray.

1:00:59 I am here today because without Virginia's courage and her story,

1:01:02 we would not be having this conversation about accountability.

1:01:07 In the summer of 2000, just steps away from this courtroom at Marargo,

1:01:12 Virginia was recruited by convicted trafficker Galain Maxwell.

1:01:18 She was only 16 years old,

1:01:20 a child who had just finished 10th grade when she began being trafficked.

1:01:25 Before her passing, Virginia gave sworn testimony

1:01:28 exposing this for what it truly was, a global sex trafficking operation enabled,

1:01:35 protected, and funded by powerful people.

1:01:38 For years, survivors have been asked the same question.

1:01:42 Who were the names?

1:01:44 The truth is, many survivors stay silent

1:01:47 because many of these individuals still hold power,

1:01:50 wealth, and influence in our society.

1:01:52 Point blank.

1:01:54 Period.

1:01:55 That is dangerous.

1:01:58 No survivor should have to risk their own safety just to be believed.

1:02:04 But Virginia, she did it anyway.

1:02:08 She stood up when others were afraid,

1:02:11 told the truth under oath, and faced people she knew were powerful.

1:02:15 Today, we lean on her courage once again

1:02:19 because she believed accountability should reach everyone involved,

1:02:22 no matter their status or influence.

1:02:25 If Virginia were here today, she would say these words herself since she cannot.

1:02:36 I will say them for her as her little brother.

1:02:41 And with that, I'd like to share Virginia's own

1:02:43 words from her sworn deposition dated May 3rd, 2016.

1:02:54 They trafficked me to many people.

1:02:58 Okay.

1:02:58 Please name a person that Gla Maxwell directed you to have sex with.

1:03:03 Prince Andrew.

1:03:05 Okay.

1:03:05 Who else?

1:03:10 As a whole, they both trafficked me to many people.

1:03:15 Okay.

1:03:15 So, can you please tell me when Gain

1:03:17 Maxwell asked you to have sex with another person?

1:03:20 Glenn Duben.

1:03:22 Who else?

1:03:24 Well, Redacted is another one.

1:03:27 Galain Maxwell asked you to have sex with redacted

1:03:34 and Glenn Dubin and Steve Kaufman were like I said

1:03:38 the first people I was sent to after my training

1:03:42 and where does Alan Dersowitz fit into this group of people.

1:03:46 Same I can't tell you piece by piece by piece who I know Glenn Dubin was first.

1:03:53 Okay.

1:03:54 And I know Steven Kaufman was the one of the first that I was sent to.

1:03:58 Alan Dersitz could have been between there,

1:04:00 between sorry, between Glenn and Stephen.

1:04:07 This is only a small sample

1:04:09 of the thousands of stories that still remain untold.

1:04:13 But the question today is no longer whether names exist.

1:04:16 The question is what will Congress and the Department of Justice do about it?

1:04:21 Even if only a handful of names are publicly known,

1:04:25 will there finally be investigations and accountability?

1:04:28 With that, I'd like to turn it over to my wife, Amanda Roberts.

1:04:37 First, I want to thank this committee and Representative Garcia

1:04:40 and everyone here who continues to fight with us for accountability,

1:04:44 but most importantly, standing with survivors.

1:04:48 Virginia's story was harrowing and as you heard my husband speak,

1:04:52 she wasn't afraid to say the names.

1:04:55 We are talking about millions of files, sworn testimony, depositions, emails,

1:05:00 flight records, bank records, photographs,

1:05:03 videos, and evidence collected over decades.

1:05:06 evidence that points to a network,

1:05:08 not just two people who traffked and abused over 1,200 victims,

1:05:15 girls, children, women, and boys.

1:05:19 Epsteina and Maxwell did not act alone, and Palm Beach was the blueprint.

1:05:25 It was the center for expansion.

1:05:29 So when this Department of Justice says there is nothing to see here,

1:05:33 survivors know exactly what that sounds like, a cover up.

1:05:38 Virginia wrote in nobody's girl, "Don't be fooled by those in Epstein's

1:05:42 circle who said they didn't know what Epstein

1:05:45 was doing." That sentence should guide this committee's

1:05:49 work because I don't recall is not enough.

1:05:54 When people like Les Wexner are asked about

1:05:56 Epstein's finances and alleged connections to his network,

1:06:00 the public deserves real answers and investigations.

1:06:04 When Howard Lutnik has given changing

1:06:06 accounts about his association with Epstein,

1:06:09 that deserves scrutiny, resignations, and investigations.

1:06:14 when former Prince Andrew denied knowing Virginia despite evidence

1:06:18 and testimony surrounding that encounter

1:06:21 that deserves scrutiny and investigation.

1:06:24 And when acting attorney general Todd Blanch met with Glay Maxwell,

1:06:30 a convicted sex traffer accused of perjury and shortly after was

1:06:35 moved to a minimum security prison that demands answers and investigations.

1:06:41 So today we ask for four things.

1:06:44 First, Congress must hold this Department of Justice accountable,

1:06:47 including contempt proceedings as the record has

1:06:50 shown that this DOJ has violated the law.

1:06:53 Second, state investigations must continue in and expand in New Mexico,

1:06:59 New York, Florida, the Virgin Islands, and everywhere this network operated.

1:07:04 Third, this committee must issue issue

1:07:07 further subpoenas and required alleged co-conspirators,

1:07:10 enablers, financers, and witnesses to testify under oath.

1:07:18 Fourth, follow the money.

1:07:20 Financial records are not secondary.

1:07:23 They may the be the key to exposing the full network.

1:07:26 Suspicious payments, shell entities, possible tax violations, money laundering,

1:07:31 and transactions connected to trafficking

1:07:33 and abuse must be investigated aggressively

1:07:37 because financial crimes can open the door and lead to real prosecutions.

1:07:42 And finally, the Epstein and Maxwell investigations must be reopened,

1:07:48 not partially, not quietly, but fully.

1:07:52 Survivors and the public deserve the truth and enablers

1:07:55 must no longer hide behind wealth, power or silence.

1:07:59 Thank you.

1:08:02 Thank you both u very much for uh for those words.

1:08:06 Uh we are going to uh to begin and hear

1:08:10 uh some opening statements from our from our witnesses.

1:08:13 So I want to just start by thanking Miss Wild who's

1:08:16 going to be recognized now for her opening five minute statement.

1:08:20 Miss Wild.

1:08:22 Hello, my name is Courtney Wild.

1:08:27 When I was 14 years old, I was abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

1:08:31 He abused me until I was 17 years old.

1:08:34 What happened to me was terrible, but what happened after that by our own

1:08:37 go government changed my life just as much.

1:08:41 I came here today to ask for one simple thing.

1:08:44 To make sure this never happens again.

1:08:47 I filed a case under the Crime Victim's Rights

1:08:49 Act because government secretly made a deal with Jeffrey Epstein.

1:08:54 They signed the a nonprosecution agreement.

1:08:57 They made the deal behind closed doors.

1:08:59 They never told me and they never told any of us.

1:09:03 Instead, they sent letters telling me to be patient

1:09:06 even though they knew the case was already over.

1:09:09 For years, I believed there was an investigation happening.

1:09:13 There wasn't.

1:09:15 When I found out the truth, I went to my lawyer, Brad Edwards.

1:09:19 He took my case in 2008 and he fought

1:09:22 for me against the government for over a decade.

1:09:26 We wanted to do the right thing for all victims together.

1:09:29 We wanted answer we wanted answers to a simple question.

1:09:33 How could this happen?

1:09:35 We had to fight all the way to the 11th Circuit,

1:09:37 which took years to get the emails between the government

1:09:40 and Jeffrey's lawyers to help us understand what happened.

1:09:44 When we finally got them, they showed something I will never forget.

1:09:49 The government wasn't trying to negotiate with Epstein's lawyers.

1:09:53 It looked like the government was trying to make him happy.

1:09:56 They were trying to make sure that the punishment

1:09:58 they were going to give him was okay with him.

1:10:01 It seemed like they had forgotten that there were

1:10:04 40 of us kids who had been abused by him.

1:10:13 I was so confused because where I come

1:10:15 from, if you commit a crime, you go to jail.

1:10:18 I have never heard the feds of letting

1:10:20 you help them decide which crimes they're going

1:10:24 to charge you with or if you're cool

1:10:25 with how long you're going to spend in jail.

1:10:29 But I thought, what do I know?

1:10:31 Maybe that's how it works for rich guys.

1:10:33 That's how it did work for Jeffrey Epstein.

1:10:37 Finally, after 10 years of fighting, in 2019,

1:10:40 a federal judge finally ruled that my rights and that the rights

1:10:45 of other victims were violated by the nonprosecution agreement.

1:10:51 But there was nothing that could be done about it.

1:10:54 There was no remedy.

1:10:58 I just want to say it again.

1:11:00 I'm sorry.

1:11:00 Sorry, I have to.

1:11:01 The court found that the government violated the law and nothing happened.

1:11:07 That means the law, the crime victim's rights act 18 USC 3771 does not matter.

1:11:16 And if the law has no consequences, it doesn't protect anybody.

1:11:22 I was lucky to have a lawyer willing to fight for me for almost a decade.

1:11:27 A lot of victims won't find that, especially in this case

1:11:31 where everybody made us feel like we were crazy.

1:11:34 So, I'm asking asking you to fix that.

1:11:37 Please fix the Crime Victim's Rights Act so

1:11:39 it could actually help victims in the future.

1:11:42 I have my own ideas and my lawyers have more ideas,

1:11:46 but I really hope that if nothing comes

1:11:49 with this, we can finally get the leg legislation right.

1:11:53 There needs to be a clear definition

1:11:55 of what it means to meaningfully confer with victims.

1:12:00 I'm still not sure what that actually means,

1:12:03 but I know it never happened for me.

1:12:06 There must be real consequences and penalties in the statute that apply

1:12:11 automatically when a court determines that a victim's rights have been violated.

1:12:16 The answer after after years and years of litigation cannot be nothing

1:12:20 happens when you finally win and prove that your rights have been violated.

1:12:25 If prosecutors choose to ignore victims,

1:12:28 those victims voices must be put on the record,

1:12:31 memorialized and preserved, especially when a deal is made behind closed doors.

1:12:38 There needs to be attorneys fees provision so victims

1:12:41 can find lawyers who will stand up for them.

1:12:45 If that if those changes had existed back then,

1:12:47 maybe what had happened to me and so many others would have not happened.

1:12:52 My case against the government for violating the rights of at least

1:12:55 40 of us Palm Beach kids was happening from 2008 to 2019.

1:13:02 Do you know how many other girls Jeffree abused in that time period?

1:13:07 I bet the FBI knows.

1:13:09 But the point is that Epstein continued to abuse other girls in New York,

1:13:14 New Mexico, around the world, and even still here in Florida.

1:13:18 Well, after he was released in 2019,

1:13:22 or I'm sorry, in 2009, and everybody knew it.

1:13:25 There were lawsuits.

1:13:26 There were so many new articles.

1:13:28 He was a registered sex offender.

1:13:30 And still nothing was done by the government.

1:13:33 Not until 2019 when he was finally arrested.

1:13:38 None of the girls, none of those girls should have ever been abused.

1:13:41 Jeffrey Epstein should have been in jail.

1:13:43 If he had been in jail like any other man

1:13:46 who did the same thing as him, he would have been.

1:13:50 And there wouldn't have been a single victim after 2009.

1:13:54 But he wasn't.

1:13:55 And he did.

1:13:55 He abused so many girls after 2009 at the same exact time that I

1:14:00 was asking the government why he got the deal and why they violated my rights.

1:14:06 That is the real injustice here.

1:14:09 That the real that is the real thing we

1:14:11 need to prevent from ever happening again in this country.

1:14:17 I was there for his bail hearing in 2019 and I spoke

1:14:21 to the judge right in front of him about how dangerous he was.

1:14:25 The bail was denied and for the first

1:14:27 time I thought we might finally get justice.

1:14:30 A month later he was dead.

1:14:33 Once again the system failed us.

1:14:35 Someone let him die in a secure prison ensuring that he would

1:14:39 never be held accountable for what he did to me as a kid.

1:14:43 Since then, there have been prosecutions.

1:14:46 There have been civil cases.

1:14:48 There have been settlements.

1:14:49 But none of that changes what was lost.

1:14:52 And none of that fixes what was allowed to happen in the first place.

1:14:56 We fought for years to get Jeffrey Epste arrested.

1:14:59 We fought to hold people accountable.

1:15:02 We did not fight so that this could turn into something

1:15:06 political or so that our rights would be violated once again.

1:15:12 I lost years of my life fighting this and so did many others.

1:15:16 We did that so the next victim wouldn't have to.

1:15:20 So don't let this work be in vain.

1:15:24 Make the Crime Victim's Rights Act matter.

1:15:27 Thank you so much.

1:15:29 Thank you very much, Miss Wild.

1:15:34 Uh, Miss Jones, you're now recognized for your opening statement.

1:15:38 Ranking member and members of Congress, my name is Jenna Lisa Jones.

1:15:42 I was 14 years old when I was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in Palm Beach.

1:15:47 It has taken me many years to find my voice.

1:15:50 For a long time, I stayed silent because I was afraid

1:15:53 and because I did not understand why this happened to me.

1:15:57 When I finally came forward, I made a commitment to use my voice responsibly.

1:16:02 I'm here today to do exactly that.

1:16:04 Last September, I went to Washington DC

1:16:07 along the other survivors with a simple request,

1:16:11 transparency and accountability.

1:16:14 We asked you to help us understand

1:16:15 how Jeffrey Epstein was given a nonprosecution agreement

1:16:19 even though the government had evidence that he

1:16:21 had sexually abused dozens of children, including me.

1:16:26 We asked how he was allowed to leave

1:16:28 jail in 2009 and continue harming young girls.

1:16:33 We asked for answers.

1:16:34 Answers that would hold our government accountable for its actions.

1:16:38 We still do not have those answers.

1:16:41 Instead, what we received caused harm all over again,

1:16:45 including too many of our survivor sisters who had never come forward

1:16:50 before and who never wanted their names or abuse to become public.

1:16:54 The Department of Justice released documents that exposed our names,

1:16:59 our social security numbers, and deeply personal information.

1:17:03 Survivors and identities were made public.

1:17:07 Husbands learned about their wives abuse for the first time.

1:17:12 Children learned about the abuse of their mothers from reporters,

1:17:18 from strangers on the internet, and in some cases from other kids at school.

1:17:27 Some survivors learned that friends had also been abused

1:17:32 only because they saw their names in those documents.

1:17:39 Others saw the most intimate details of their own trauma

1:17:45 publicly exposed.

1:17:47 Our privacy was violated.

1:17:50 The government promised us over and over again

1:17:54 that our information would be protected and properly redacted.

1:18:00 Those promises were broken again.

1:18:04 We came to you seeking answers for why our rights were violated in 2007.

1:18:11 And in the process of asking for those answers, our rights were violated again.

1:18:17 I want to believe that each of you

1:18:19 in this room is listening because you truly care.

1:18:22 Not just about us, but about every

1:18:24 child in this country who survived sexual abuse.

1:18:29 If Congress and the Department of Justice

1:18:32 truly want to do right by the survivors, the path forward is not complicated.

1:18:37 Acknowledge the failures.

1:18:39 When Jeffrey Epstein was set free in 2009

1:18:42 and again when our privacy was shattered earlier this year,

1:18:45 take responsibility and provide meaningful remedies to to the women

1:18:51 who have been harmed over and over again.

1:18:54 Please do not force us to relive this through more litigation.

1:18:58 pass a law requiring the Department of Justice

1:19:01 to compensate victims for the harm that they had

1:19:03 caused by releasing the names and information that would

1:19:06 show that this is truly about helping victims.

1:19:10 Second, with respect to our ongoing investigations, please remember this.

1:19:15 Jeffrey Epstein is dead.

1:19:17 Gislane Maxwell is in prison.

1:19:22 Do not pardon Maxwell.

1:19:25 If there are other men who hurt women, hold them accountable.

1:19:29 But please leave the survivors alone.

1:19:32 If you subpoenaed someone to testify before your committees

1:19:35 and she tells you she is a victim, listen to her.

1:19:39 Believe her.

1:19:41 Respect her trauma.

1:19:42 Jeffrey tried to plant paint his victims as bad guys.

1:19:47 To avoid responsibility for himself.

1:19:49 Please learn and understand that sharing our story should be a choice.

1:19:53 the choice I was able to make today.

1:19:55 It should never be something survivors are forced to do.

1:19:58 The girls who were groomed by Glain Maxwell and abused

1:20:01 by Jeffrey Epstein should not be treated like criminals.

1:20:05 Please learn the stories of the women who have been harmed before you force them

1:20:08 to testify in a room full of strangers about the worst moments of their lives.

1:20:13 Jeffrey Epste destroyed so many of our lives and Gain Maxwell helped him do it.

1:20:18 Do not blame their survivors for the crimes of the abusers.

1:20:22 That is not how the story should end.

1:20:24 Find a way to bring closure to the story of Jeffrey Epste.

1:20:26 To allow survivors and this country to finally

1:20:28 begin to move forward so that one day,

1:20:31 and I pray soon, Jeffrey Epste's name is no

1:20:35 longer something we are forced to hear every single day.

1:20:39 And my last point, I am not here today only to talk about the past.

1:20:43 I am here for the children who are sitting in the classroom today.

1:20:47 children who may be vulnerable, confused,

1:20:49 and unsure of what is happening to them.

1:20:52 When I was a teenager,

1:20:53 I did not have the language to understand what was happening to me.

1:20:56 I did not know who to tell.

1:20:57 I did not know where to go.

1:20:59 Many of us didn't.

1:21:01 We were young and we were manipulated.

1:21:03 We were left without the tools or the support we needed.

1:21:06 That is something Congress can change.

1:21:08 Every middle school and high school student in this country

1:21:12 should receive education on the signs of sexual abuse and exploitation.

1:21:18 What it looks like, how to recognize it, and how to safely report it.

1:21:23 Schools should have trained adults accessible resources so that no

1:21:27 child feels as lost or as alone as we did.

1:21:30 I have worked with other survivors

1:21:32 to start a nonprofit called the Survivors, Inc.

1:21:34 Because not everyone who has been abused

1:21:38 has ac access to strong legal representation, therapy or support systems.

1:21:44 I became a certified life coach.

1:21:46 I believe in giving others the support I wish I had.

1:21:50 Though though the survivors we were able to provide these services to people

1:21:56 who have been abused so they can begin their healing journey too.

1:22:00 I'm proud of that work.

1:22:01 But individual efforts are not enough.

1:22:03 Real change requires leadership at a national level.

1:22:06 You have the power to make sure that happens

1:22:08 to us does not happen again on this scale.

1:22:11 I believe one of the most important places to begin is in our schools.

1:22:16 Train teachers, educate students,

1:22:18 give children a place to turn when they feel they have nowhere else to go.

1:22:21 Together we can do better for the next generation.

1:22:27 Thank you so much.

1:22:34 Uh, Miss Beny, you are now recognized for your opening statement.

1:22:37 Thank you.

1:22:38 Thank you.

1:22:40 Hello, my name is Danny Benky.

1:22:42 I was abused by Jeffrey Epstein in 2004 and 2005.

1:22:48 That was eight years after Maria Farmer first reported Jeffrey to the FBI.

1:22:54 Although discussing my abuse is far from easy,

1:22:58 I live with diagnosed PTSD from that experience,

1:23:02 um my story is actually one of the safest stories to tell.

1:23:06 The key abuser who caused me physical harm is dead.

1:23:10 It's imperative to understand that the stories you are

1:23:13 hearing today are a tiny fraction of the whole.

1:23:17 I am one of more than,200 girls and women.

1:23:21 I don't face the same level of threats of defamation lawsuits and serious

1:23:25 risks to my safety as my survivor as some of my survivor sisters do.

1:23:30 While there are co-conspirators who do need to be held accountable

1:23:34 for the the parts that they played in the operation of my own abuse,

1:23:39 I was trafficked only to Jeffrey,

1:23:41 which really unfortunately is not the case for so many others.

1:23:47 I was groomed prior to meeting Jeffrey.

1:23:49 I grew up in the dance world where perfectionism,

1:23:52 body image issues ran rampant in a world

1:23:55 that was built on hierarchy and secrecy.

1:23:59 I would have my body criticized, critiqued, and manipulated.

1:24:03 Um, not so different from what I initially experienced with Jeffrey.

1:24:09 I was trafficked to Jeffrey.

1:24:11 I had two recruiters.

1:24:13 One was a late teen and the other was only 15 years old,

1:24:16 just trying to escape her own abuse.

1:24:20 Jeffrey weaponized my aspirations and dreams by speaking

1:24:24 the language of dance and making false promises.

1:24:27 My mom had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

1:24:30 I had seen the name Epstein listed on a donor wall

1:24:33 and believed that his wealth and power had come from the medical profession.

1:24:39 I brought him her scans, hoping to understand her diagnosis.

1:24:43 Instead of helping her, he used my mother's brain scans over me,

1:24:47 giving me an ultimatum.

1:24:49 Either recruit more girls or do more for him.

1:24:53 I didn't end up recruiting anyone and instead just endured the abuse.

1:24:59 In May of 2005, my mother had a successful operation at Mount Si

1:25:04 to to remove the tumor and I finally extricated myself from Jeffrey's web.

1:25:11 The Epstein case demonstrates that institutional systems

1:25:14 have failed survivors time and time again.

1:25:19 I was first subpoenaed in 2008 for an interview.

1:25:22 I was just 20 years old and without a victim's rights advocate or a lawyer,

1:25:27 I didn't know that I was entitled to those protections.

1:25:31 No one told me I was safe.

1:25:33 And for many parts of my interview, it felt like an interrogation.

1:25:37 Jeffrey had already threatened my friend and he had told me that I

1:25:41 would be charged with prostitution if I ever interacted with law enforcement.

1:25:46 He made it clear that he held the cards.

1:25:50 The passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act was a moment

1:25:54 in which survivors hoped and believed that we might see some reckoning.

1:26:01 But the system yet again failed survivors.

1:26:05 Before the first document dump uh by the DOJ,

1:26:09 my lawyer teamed up with another law firm representing survivors.

1:26:13 Together they submitted 350 victim's names to the DOJ.

1:26:20 as names that needed to be redacted prior to the deadline on December 19th.

1:26:26 In the first round of documents, I saw my name in two places.

1:26:30 Then in the January dump, there were more,

1:26:32 and the reductions were far, far worse.

1:26:35 These files displayed my name, my phone number, my old address,

1:26:40 where I worked at the time,

1:26:42 where I was studying, and other identifying information.

1:26:46 What's important to understand is that these documents

1:26:50 weren't just somehow overlooked and not redacted at all.

1:26:54 On one document, my nickname Danny redacted

1:26:58 while Danielle Hannah is left completely unredacted.

1:27:02 I am just one of the hundreds of survivors exposed like this.

1:27:08 A few weeks ago, a legal analyst reached out to share that yet again,

1:27:12 my name appeared in a third batch of only 20 documents.

1:27:17 After my lawyer continued to contact

1:27:19 the DOJ on multiple occasions for protection,

1:27:23 my name and information remained attached.

1:27:27 These documents hold disturbing and yet incomplete accounts of my abuse

1:27:33 and they were viewable not only by the entire world but my child,

1:27:38 my students, my students parents, my friends,

1:27:42 my employers, my colleagues, my family.

1:27:47 I am public.

1:27:49 However, in my FBI 302,

1:27:53 a Jane Doe who has never ever wanted to be revealed was exposed.

1:27:59 This outing of survivor names does real irrevocable damage.

1:28:05 The passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act was meant to be

1:28:09 a moment when survivors could regain their power and finally obtain the truth.

1:28:15 It was a time for our institutions created to protect

1:28:19 the American people to for once stand on the side of survivors.

1:28:23 As survivors, we have said time and time again, this is not political.

1:28:30 This requires coming together and prioritizing prioritizing coming together,

1:28:36 not political showmanship.

1:28:39 I'm always asked, what does accountability look like?

1:28:42 Accountability means removing perpetrators from power, seeing arrests be made,

1:28:49 and legislators pass laws like protecting victim's rights like Virginia's law,

1:28:55 which would remove the statute of limitations

1:28:57 for victim's civil claims against their abusers.

1:29:00 Our entrenched systemic failures have allowed

1:29:04 powerful people like Jeffrey to thrive.

1:29:06 When institutions prioritize protecting the powerful

1:29:11 and their enablers over protecting victims, abuse becomes normalized.

1:29:18 If we continue down this path,

1:29:20 the question isn't whether abuse will happen again,

1:29:24 but who will be the next Jeffrey Epstein.

1:29:28 This moment is critical.

1:29:30 It is time to reform our system to protect our survivors,

1:29:35 not the perpetrators, and to ensure the truth can come to light.

1:29:40 Thank you.

1:29:43 Thank you so much.

1:29:49 Thank you.

1:29:49 Um, Miss Rosa, you are now recognized for your opening statement.

1:29:54 In 2008, I just turned 18 when I

1:29:58 met MC Square model management owner named Jeanluke Brunell.

1:30:03 Coming from a financial and stable background, I was a perfect target for Corin.

1:30:08 I was promised modeling career beyond my dreams.

1:30:12 In less than six months, MC Squared obtained an 01 visa for me.

1:30:16 I feat nearly impossible for a teenager with almost no experience.

1:30:22 I did not have the documentation to earn that visa.

1:30:25 By May of 2009, I was in New York City.

1:30:28 I was isolated, controlled in a manner I've never experienced before.

1:30:32 Within 3 months, the agency claimed I owed them over $10,000.

1:30:37 I had no family, no friends, or no money.

1:30:40 MC Square controlled every aspect of my life,

1:30:43 where I went, how I dressed, and how I looked.

1:30:46 They provided me enough of allowance to keep me afloat,

1:30:48 but never enough to be independent.

1:30:51 Less than a month after I arrived to United States,

1:30:54 my agency sent me to a home of a registered sex of a sex offender,

1:30:59 I was I was introduced to his girlfriend under disguise

1:31:03 that she was a photographer who helped me build my portfolio.

1:31:06 Now I know that Jeffrey Epson was supposed to be in jail cell in June of 2008.

1:31:13 I met him at his house right here in West Palm Beach.

1:31:17 He was not in a jail.

1:31:19 Jeanluke Bernell brought me to West Palm

1:31:21 Beach to have dinner with Epstein in July.

1:31:24 Epstein used the names of powerful politicians to demonstrate his influence.

1:31:30 He told me he's an investor of the very agency that promised me a career.

1:31:34 He also spoke of his arrest that it was a game bragging

1:31:38 about girls visiting his cell and his and his friendships with authorities.

1:31:45 Jeffrey offered me a position at the Florida Science Foundation

1:31:49 to handle phone calls to help me with my financial troubles.

1:31:54 One day, his masseuse called me into his room

1:31:58 where I was molested for the first time by Jeffrey.

1:32:03 For the following three years, I was subject to ongoing rape.

1:32:12 Jeffrey Abson was under house arrest for the molestation of underage

1:32:18 girls at the exact time I was he was abusing me.

1:32:23 Seeing that the fact that he could commit those acts made just justice

1:32:34 feel impossible to me and it took my ability to seek for help.

1:32:43 I was summoned to his residence right here in West Palm Beach.

1:32:46 My agency relocated me to Miami to keep me closer.

1:32:51 And only after he was released from the house arrest,

1:32:53 I was allowed to go back to New York City where my nightmares continued.

1:32:59 Those years of abuse turned into a decade of fear that I still carry today.

1:33:05 I eventually found the courage to reach out for help.

1:33:08 I stepped forward among other survivors,

1:33:12 hoping those who allow this to happen will be held accountable.

1:33:17 I kept my identity protected as Jane Doe.

1:33:21 I woke up one day with my name mentioned over 500 times.

1:33:34 While the rich and powerful remain protected by reduction,

1:33:37 my name was exposed to the world.

1:33:39 Now reporters from across the globe contact me.

1:33:42 I cannot live without looking over my shoulder.

1:33:46 I can only imagine the long-term impact this mistake will have on my life.

1:33:55 I wanted to be a doctor when I was a kid.

1:33:59 So I want to end this statement with a story.

1:34:04 In 1800, the doctor named Ignas Semawise discovered something life-saving.

1:34:10 He re realized that the doctors who

1:34:12 were performing autopsies and then immediately delivering

1:34:15 babies without washing their hand were carrying

1:34:19 cadaavverous particles causing women die in agony.

1:34:24 He had evident evidence, he had solution.

1:34:26 He begged the medical establishment to wash their hands to save lives.

1:34:32 But the doctors were offended.

1:34:35 They found it easier to protect their own reputation and maintain

1:34:39 the status quo than to admit they were the ones causing harms.

1:34:44 They closed they chose their pride over the life of women.

1:34:47 And Dr.

1:34:48 Samise was ignored, ridiculed, and eventually cast out.

1:34:52 I see the same patterns happening today with handling of these files.

1:34:58 Releasing releasing my name while redacting the name

1:35:01 of other powerful is not a mistake.

1:35:04 It's a choice.

1:35:05 It's a choice to prioritize the comfort

1:35:07 of an institution over the safety of the survivors.

1:35:09 The evidence is right here.

1:35:11 Yet those in power rather us die socially,

1:35:17 emotionally, and physically then admit their own complicity.

1:35:22 I am no longer a Jane Doe hating in the files.

1:35:26 I'm a woman.

1:35:28 I'm a fighter and I'm a witness and I'm begging you, please wash your hands.

1:35:56 Thank you, Miss Rose.

1:35:57 Um, obviously I think uh one of the true horrors of this investigation has

1:36:03 been the way uh so many survivors continue to be traumatized and I think

1:36:07 this is one uh just really horrific example of um how even through

1:36:13 the transparency act um so much so

1:36:17 much horror and retraumatization u continues to happen.

1:36:22 Um so thank you for the testimony.

1:36:24 Mr.

1:36:24 Mr.

1:36:25 Kovven, I'm going to recognize you for your opening statement.

1:36:30 Thank you.

1:36:36 Truly moved by her strength.

1:36:39 Um, ranking member, members of Congress, my name is Spencer Kubin.

1:36:44 I have represented numerous survivors of sexual

1:36:47 exploitation and trafficking over the years,

1:36:50 including the first victim to come forward

1:36:53 in the Epstein investigation here in Palm Beach.

1:36:56 I'm here today because what happened during the prosecution

1:37:00 of Jeffrey Epstein was not simply a failure of judgment.

1:37:05 It was a systemic failure of justice.

1:37:09 In Palm Beach County, credible evidence of widespread sexual abuse

1:37:13 involving minors was presented to state prosecutors, including my client.

1:37:19 Law enforcement initially identified dozens of victims.

1:37:23 The conduct was organized, repeated, and devastating.

1:37:27 Yet, instead of a prosecution that matched the scale of the harm,

1:37:31 what followed was a secret agreement, as we know, that minimized the abuse

1:37:35 and insulted the children that had been abused.

1:37:39 Despite the efforts of some of the federal agents at the time,

1:37:43 the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District

1:37:45 decided to have these secret meetings with Epstein's attorneys.

1:37:49 The US Department of Justice in conjunction with the Palm

1:37:52 Beach County State Attorney's Office at the time colluded

1:37:56 in secret to quietly shove this case with minimal state

1:37:59 charges that branded a 15 and 16year-old child victim as prostitutes.

1:38:07 They gave a sweetheart deal to Jeffrey Epstein

1:38:10 and four named as well as unnamed co-conspirators.

1:38:15 The Southern District US attorney at the time, Alex Aosta,

1:38:18 spearheaded what every attorney advocate saw as the worst

1:38:24 nonprosecution agreement ever executed by a US attorney.

1:38:29 This sent a message.

1:38:31 It told victims that even when the evidence is strong,

1:38:34 accountability is negotiable if you are rich and powerful.

1:38:40 This awful non-prosecution agreement completely shut down further federal

1:38:44 charges for the events they were investigating here in Florida.

1:38:48 As I mentioned, that tragic deal was negotiated and signed in secret.

1:38:53 Not only was it kept secret from the world, it was kept secret from me.

1:38:57 Calls were made repeatedly to the US

1:39:00 attorneys investigating this at the time by myself,

1:39:03 an advocate for multiple victims at the time.

1:39:06 And of course, it was kept secret from those victims.

1:39:09 I was forced to file motions with the court

1:39:12 to compel its ultimate disclosure even after it had been executed.

1:39:16 And finally, after obtaining court orders, they turned it over to us.

1:39:21 A full year after it had been signed, the victims were not consulted.

1:39:28 Their advocates, like me, were not consulted.

1:39:32 Victims were never given an opportunity to be heard.

1:39:36 This was not just a moral failure.

1:39:38 We believed it was a violation of law under the Crime Victim's Rights Act.

1:39:43 Originally passed in 2004, subsequently amended by Congress in' 06,08 and 15.

1:39:50 Victims have had the right to confer with prosecutors

1:39:52 and the right to be treated with fairness and respect.

1:39:55 Yet those rights were ignored at the very moment that it mattered most

1:40:01 when decisions were being made that would

1:40:03 determine whether justice would ever be pursued.

1:40:07 The result was predictable.

1:40:09 Survivors, as you've heard,

1:40:11 were retraumatized not only by the abuse they endured,

1:40:14 but by a system that excluded them

1:40:16 from the process designed specifically to protect them

1:40:21 and the public was left questioning whether justice

1:40:24 can trust be trusted when powerful interests are involved.

1:40:28 This failure by the Department of Justice

1:40:30 at the time was a subject of litigation brought, as you heard, by Miss Wild.

1:40:35 That case ultimately exposed a gap in the law, one that must be closed by you.

1:40:44 Today, I want to offer that clear path forward.

1:40:47 First, Congress should amend the Crime Victim's Rights

1:40:49 Act to make it explicit that victims must be

1:40:52 notified and given a meaningful opportunity to confer before

1:40:57 any nonprosecution agreement or deferred prosecution agreement is finalized.

1:41:02 Second, as you've heard,

1:41:03 there must be enforcable remedies, not just suggestions.

1:41:10 Victims should have standing to challenge

1:41:12 agreements reached in violation of the act,

1:41:14 and courts must have the authority to review and where appropriate,

1:41:18 void those agreements.

1:41:21 Third, transparency must be the rule, not the exception.

1:41:27 Secret agreements that extinguish criminal liability,

1:41:30 particularly in cases involving multiple victims,

1:41:33 should not exist in our system of justice.

1:41:36 And finally, there must be accountability.

1:41:39 When prosecutors fail to uphold victim's rights,

1:41:42 there must be consequences sufficient to ensure

1:41:45 that those failures are not repeated.

1:41:48 This is not about relitigating the past.

1:41:50 It's about ensuring what happened here never happens again.

1:41:54 The survivors in this case have showed extraordinary courage coming here today.

1:41:59 They told the truth and they trusted the system and the system failed them.

1:42:04 Congress now has the opportunity and I

1:42:07 would suggest the responsibility to fix it.

1:42:11 Thank you.

1:42:12 We look forward to your questions.

1:42:14 Thank Thank you very much.

1:42:19 I'd like to go to to Miss Hirs,

1:42:20 please, who's now recognized for her opening statement.

1:42:22 Thank you so much, ranking member, members of Congress.

1:42:25 I'm Lauren Hirs, the CEO of World Without Exploitation,

1:42:29 the largest anti-trafficking co coalition in the country.

1:42:32 We have nearly 200 member organizations across the country.

1:42:36 Many of those organizations are survivor-led.

1:42:39 It is an absolute honor to sit beside each one of you.

1:42:44 You are the reason this moment of reckoning is happening.

1:42:49 What we have witnessed in the handling

1:42:51 of the Epstein case is not simply a bureaucratic misstep.

1:42:56 It is a deeply horrific failure to protect

1:42:59 the very people the system is meant to serve.

1:43:03 Survivors have repeatedly been promised dignity, confidentiality, and in care.

1:43:10 And instead, we have seen a systemic breakdown

1:43:13 in their protection at nearly every step of the way.

1:43:18 We have watched those with power and privilege manipulate the system,

1:43:22 shielding themselves from accountability while

1:43:25 survivors have suffered in silence.

1:43:29 Every one of these failures sends

1:43:31 a devastating message not only to Epstein survivors,

1:43:35 but to survivors everywhere that accountability is optional for the powerful.

1:43:42 Survivors have had enough.

1:43:43 And frankly, the American public has had enough of this, too.

1:43:48 We are now in a moment of reckoning that requires a thorough

1:43:51 examination of all of the things that have gone horribly wrong.

1:43:56 But it also requires a serious course correction.

1:44:00 Survivors have been repeatedly harmed first

1:44:03 by Epstein and his associates and then

1:44:05 by law enforcement who refused to bring adequate cases who didn't notify victims

1:44:10 when secret sweetheart deals were made who allowed abuse to continue even after

1:44:15 pleas were entered in and then they were again abused by the DOJ.

1:44:21 When the federal government fails to protect

1:44:24 provide protection under the crime victim's rights act,

1:44:27 survivors cannot be left without re remedy.

1:44:30 We need a legislative fix immediately to provide compensation and recourse

1:44:36 for violations of the crime victim's rights act and this is urgent.

1:44:42 I think everyone in the room has heard the survivors

1:44:45 and understands the profound harm caused by the DOJ

1:44:49 in releasing hundreds of names of survivors and their personal

1:44:53 information in the aftermath of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

1:44:57 So, I'll keep this part brief.

1:45:00 As a former prosecutor, I understand that mistakes happen.

1:45:04 We're human.

1:45:05 But when hundreds of names are released repeatedly,

1:45:09 including nude photos of a survivor,

1:45:12 this can no longer be dismissed as human error.

1:45:16 Something has gone horribly wrong inside the DOJ,

1:45:19 and the American public deserves clear

1:45:22 answers about how this failure has occurred.

1:45:26 This requires a recorded deposition of Pam Bondi on May 29th,

1:45:32 not a transcribed interview.

1:45:34 Survivors also deserve meaningful legislative recourse,

1:45:45 including a private right of action so that they can be comp

1:45:49 compensated for the exposure of their private in information to the public.

1:45:56 Accountability cannot end with an examination

1:45:59 of process failures or even legislative fixes.

1:46:03 These files demand further examination.

1:46:08 Assertions that there are no cred

1:46:10 credible investigative leads are deeply concerning.

1:46:15 From my perspective, both as the CEO of World Wii and a former prosecutor,

1:46:20 that conclusion is not only premature,

1:46:23 it is inconsistent with the available record.

1:46:26 There there is an abundance of potential

1:46:29 investigative leads that warrant serious independent review.

1:46:35 For three decades, countless men operated with complete impunity.

1:46:40 Sex trafficking does not happen in a vacuum.

1:46:42 It is driven by the demand for commercial sex and it is

1:46:46 enabled by systems and people who are willing to look the other way.

1:46:51 That is exactly what we're looking at here.

1:46:55 likely the largest sex trafficking operation the United States has ever seen.

1:47:01 The files are clear and the files names.

1:47:06 When individuals and institutions surface repeatedly in the files,

1:47:11 it's a pretty strong indicator that there's some there there.

1:47:16 when there are millions and millions

1:47:18 of dollars flowing between an individual and Epstein

1:47:21 and there doesn't seem to be a business

1:47:23 relationship but instead allegations of sexual abuse.

1:47:28 That's not noise to ignore.

1:47:30 That is an investigative lead.

1:47:33 And this is just one of many examples.

1:47:36 And the examples are not just limited to individuals.

1:47:40 Major hospitals took money from Epstein and provided questionable care.

1:47:47 And that's putting it nicely.

1:47:49 Hospital systems, academic institutions, modeling agencies,

1:47:54 and the list goes on.

1:47:56 They all require careful independent examination of investigative leads.

1:48:04 The burden should not fall on the survivors

1:48:06 to name names or drive investigations.

1:48:09 Survivors should be given safe, voluntary spaces to speak,

1:48:13 but they should not be compelled.

1:48:16 The responsibility lies with investigative bodies, prosecutors, the DOJ,

1:48:22 on relevant authorities to do their jobs thoroughly,

1:48:26 transparently, and with integrity.

1:48:31 Survivors have already carried too far too much of the burden.

1:48:35 They should not have to carry the failures of our institutions as well.

1:48:39 What is needed now is not defensiveness but accountability.

1:48:44 And finally, for survivors and for world without exploitation,

1:48:50 this is not and has never been political.

1:48:54 I'm sure that it will be twisted into us

1:48:57 entering the political fray by being here today,

1:49:01 but we have been absolutely clear.

1:49:05 We will and have worked with anyone who is serious about getting to the truth.

1:49:12 The era of silence and inaction must end here.

1:49:17 Thank you.

1:49:23 Thank you.

1:49:25 Um obviously just thank you to all

1:49:27 of our witnesses for those opening statements.

1:49:29 We're going to be moving on to uh questions

1:49:32 and and um some comments from uh the members of this committee.

1:49:36 Uh I do want to uplift and recognize particularly the survivors

1:49:39 and your courage again and how we got to this moment.

1:49:43 Uh I want to start just by again just commenting

1:49:47 that we're here because of the horrific crimes of Jeffrey Epstein,

1:49:51 Galain Maxwell, and numerous others

1:49:54 and the failure caused by our own government.

1:49:57 And I want to in in my line of questioning,

1:50:01 I just want to hone down on one thing which I think is really important.

1:50:05 Last July, the administration's FBI and DOJ released

1:50:11 a two-page document saying, and I and I quote,

1:50:15 "We did not uncover evidence that could predicate

1:50:19 investigation against uncharged third parties." In other words,

1:50:27 the current administration through its DOJ

1:50:31 believed that this investigation was over,

1:50:36 that no one else could be investigated for perhaps

1:50:40 the worst sex trafficking ring in American history,

1:50:44 that no other person could be held accountable or there could be

1:50:49 further convictions of the horrors made and against 1,200 women and girls.

1:50:59 Now, we here and some of our colleagues on the Republican

1:51:04 side of the aisle have worked together to file motions,

1:51:09 to file laws, and to push this investigation forward.

1:51:13 And I want to be very clear.

1:51:16 The DOJ, this administration,

1:51:21 the president and the attorney general made it clear

1:51:23 that this investigation in their opinion was a hoax,

1:51:28 was a lie, and there was nothing else to do to move forward.

1:51:33 The DOJ tried to close this case.

1:51:38 Through our investigation, we have learned that many of the witnesses

1:51:43 that we have been going through through deposition,

1:51:46 through transcribed interviews were never questioned by law enforcement.

1:51:52 And this is something that we learned only

1:51:54 by forcing these interviews and by sitting asking these questions.

1:52:00 How could Les Wexner have never been interviewed by our own government,

1:52:07 who was the source of most of Jeffrey Epstein's wealth and was never questioned?

1:52:15 How can some of the folks on this document the FBI had

1:52:20 in their possession not ever have been

1:52:23 questioned by our own government or law enforcement?

1:52:28 How could Darren Indkike and Richard Khan,

1:52:31 who you can see in this chart and were

1:52:33 essentially the brain trust of Jeffrey Epstein's organization,

1:52:38 how could they never have been questioned?

1:52:43 That is not a mistake.

1:52:46 That is a cover up.

1:52:50 And what I think we want to make very clear is this is

1:52:54 not just about the mistakes and the ongoing harm of the Trump administration.

1:53:00 This has been harm posed by numerous

1:53:03 administrations led by both Republicans and Democrats.

1:53:08 And when folks come and ask, well, why wasn't the former administration attorney

1:53:14 general garlic more engaged on this issue?

1:53:16 I ask the same question.

1:53:18 Why wasn't Merrick Garland more engaged and focused

1:53:21 on prosecutions and more focused on getting out the truth?

1:53:25 This is not just about partisan politics.

1:53:31 This is a continued pattern of abuse and not seeking justice.

1:53:39 But we're here now at this moment in this Congress

1:53:43 with this administration and this coverup must end.

1:53:48 I want to briefly ask the survivors if you believe

1:53:53 that this investigation should continue if

1:53:56 if your government should continue this investigation.

1:53:59 Miss Pensky, yes.

1:54:06 Rosa, absolutely.

1:54:06 Yes.

1:54:07 Miss Wild, yes.

1:54:09 Miss Jones, yes.

1:54:12 Thank you.

1:54:12 And we agree it's unacceptable that folks have been not questioned,

1:54:18 that there haven't been criminal prosecutions,

1:54:22 and that our own former attorney general

1:54:25 continues to be engaged in this cover up.

1:54:29 They want to end this investigation.

1:54:32 But what we are saying today is we need

1:54:35 to come together with our bipartisan allies on the other

1:54:39 side and especially some Republican women who have

1:54:42 stood and continue to push for truth and justice.

1:54:47 We welcome their support in this investigation.

1:54:50 At a hearing back in March,

1:54:51 former Attorney General Bondi told one of my colleagues,

1:54:55 quote, "I'm stunned that you want to continue talking about Epstein.

1:55:04 That was her quote.

1:55:06 Miss Bensky, you were there.

1:55:08 So was Sky Roberts on behalf of Virginia.

1:55:11 Attorney General Bondi didn't spend one minute talking to you,

1:55:14 but instead wanted to end the Epstein investigation.

1:55:18 Today, we're here to tell the former attorney general that we

1:55:22 are demanding that she come in for her date with the subpoena,

1:55:27 that she testify under oath,

1:55:29 and that it's videotaped and released to the American public.

1:55:32 And the survivors deserve nothing less.

1:55:43 And I want to again ask the survivors.

1:55:46 We know that approximately 2.5 million documents are still hidden.

1:55:52 And we also understand that anything that's released

1:55:54 in the future needs to be redacted with care and properly.

1:56:01 Do you all support this Congress than the continued release

1:56:06 of the files if redactions are done properly and with care?

1:56:10 Miss Pensky?

1:56:11 Of course.

1:56:12 Yeah.

1:56:14 Rosa.

1:56:15 Yes.

1:56:15 Miss Wild?

1:56:17 Yes.

1:56:17 Miss Jones?

1:56:20 Yes.

1:56:19 Thank you.

1:56:20 I I think it's important for the attorney general, for Mr.

1:56:23 Blanch and for others to hear directly that the survivors don't

1:56:27 think this is a hoax or that the investigation is over.

1:56:32 Everyone in this room is committed to making

1:56:34 the truth and justice a part of our legislative work.

1:56:40 We have to pass laws and do the right thing.

1:56:44 What we're facing right now is

1:56:46 a systemic a systemic government agencies and administration

1:56:54 that is trying to end this work and we have to push back on it.

1:57:01 We have sworn testimony.

1:57:04 We've seen emails from the Epstein estate, from many others,

1:57:10 even about the relationship and the friendship

1:57:12 between the current president and Jeffrey Epstein.

1:57:16 We continue to demand that the president force his DOJ to do the right

1:57:24 thing by their survivors and to ensure that we get truth and justice.

1:57:30 We are just a few miles away from Mara Lago.

1:57:33 where we know Galileain recruited and harmed and abused women,

1:57:38 where Virginia herself was recruited.

1:57:42 And we also know that the president,

1:57:45 where his residence is just a few miles from here,

1:57:47 is the one man in America that has the power to do

1:57:51 the right thing and force the DOJ to release the files, protect the survivors,

1:57:58 and demand and ensure that the American public get the truth.

1:58:01 And that's why we're here today.

1:58:03 And with that, I yield.

1:58:06 And I want to turn it over to Representative Kush Morphy.

1:58:08 Thank you.

1:58:13 Thank you, Mr.

1:58:14 Ranking Member.

1:58:15 Thank you to all the witnesses.

1:58:16 Thank you for your bravery, um, your conviction, and your determination.

1:58:22 Today, I want to ask you first about Glenn Maxwell.

1:58:26 Miss Wild, in a written victim impact statement that was filed in court,

1:58:31 uh you said that the abuse you suffered was quote deliberate

1:58:34 and systematic designed by Epstein and facilitated by his staff and associates,

1:58:38 including Gla Maxwell.

1:58:40 Correct.

1:58:42 Um I don't I don't I never I don't think

1:58:43 that's my I never had any relationship with Gla Maxwell.

1:58:48 Can you repeat that?

1:58:50 Uh in a victim impact statement in Jane

1:58:52 Doe one and Jane Do versus the United States.

1:58:55 Oh, yes.

1:58:56 Yes.

1:58:56 Okay.

1:58:57 Against the I'm sorry, I've never met Glen Maxwell,

1:59:00 but yes, that's what the other Jane do.

1:59:04 Miss Benky, at Maxwell's trial,

1:59:07 survivors testified that Maxwell participated in the sexual abuse of girls.

1:59:13 Maxwell recruited victims for Epstein in including

1:59:17 at schools and that Maxwell once told

1:59:20 a 14-year-old girl that she quote had a great body for Epstein and his friends.

1:59:25 Isn't that what was testified to?

1:59:27 Yeah.

1:59:28 I also my experience was not with with Maxwell, but I am sure that that is true.

1:59:34 Miss Jones.

1:59:35 After Maxwell was found guilty of unconscionable acts,

1:59:39 Politico reported that Maxwell's lawyer, this guy right here,

1:59:45 said that there's a good chance and for good

1:59:48 reason that Maxwell would get a pardon.

1:59:51 You have publicly stated that quote clemency would be

1:59:54 a slap in the face to all survivors, right?

1:59:57 I agree with that wholeheartedly.

1:59:59 I think everyone on this panel agrees probably.

2:00:02 Maxwell hasn't shown any guilt, hasn't shown any remorse,

2:00:06 hasn't shown any ounce of accountability for what she did.

2:00:11 I've introduced the House resolution condemning clemency for Maxwell.

2:00:14 I hope everyone here will join me because we have to do

2:00:17 everything in our power to block a pardon for Glenn Maxwell.

2:00:27 Miss Hirs, I want to turn to another topic.

2:00:30 following the money.

2:00:31 You're aware of Epstein related

2:00:33 financial records called suspicious activity reports,

2:00:36 SARS reports, that have not been produced.

2:00:38 Correct?

2:00:40 Yeah.

2:00:39 And just to level set, a suspicious activity report is a report produced

2:00:44 by a bank anytime a customer performs a questionable transaction.

2:00:48 And it turns out there were numerous such reports

2:00:51 filed by banks with the Treasury Department for Jeffrey Epstein,

2:00:56 including large cash withdrawals and even requests

2:00:58 that Epstein made for the creation of bank

2:01:01 accounts and credit cards for teenagers and people

2:01:06 who had nothing to do with his family.

2:01:08 Isn't that right?

2:01:09 It is.

2:01:10 The Senate Finance Committee has found Epstein made wire

2:01:13 transfers that are detailed in these suspicious activity reports,

2:01:16 SARS reports, to the tune of $1.5 billion dollar with a B,

2:01:22 and include the names of women and girls he may

2:01:25 have trafficked as well as the names of his potential clients.

2:01:29 I believe that this is paramount

2:01:31 to the investigation of the sex trafficking ring.

2:01:33 Would you agree with that?

2:01:34 I do agree with that.

2:01:35 If we're serious, if we're serious about following the money,

2:01:40 I believe that these SARS reports must be

2:01:42 disclosed by the US Treasury Department now, immediately today.

2:01:52 Last topic.

2:01:53 Last topic, Miss Hirs.

2:01:55 Um, can can you give me this?

2:02:00 These one, two, three, four, five, six people, they must be disclosed today.

2:02:05 What do you think about that?

2:02:07 I I absolutely agree with you.

2:02:09 They may be among us today.

2:02:13 Wow.

2:02:12 Perpetrating a continuation of a sex trafficking ring.

2:02:16 Now, Mr.

2:02:17 Coven, DOJ has not released all

2:02:19 of the raw interviews and transcripts from the more

2:02:21 more than 40 victims of the DOJ's

2:02:24 that were investigated in the DOJ's 2008 investigation.

2:02:27 Right.

2:02:28 Correct.

2:02:28 And DOJ has not released all

2:02:30 of the video footage collected at Epstein's properties.

2:02:34 Correct.

2:02:35 Absolutely.

2:02:36 Not only that, I've actually walked through the home of Jeffrey Epstein after

2:02:41 the incidents occurred and saw where the video

2:02:44 cameras were located and no longer existed.

2:02:49 Wow.

2:02:50 Epstein tried to maintain his power over those he

2:02:52 abused by taking away their chance at justice.

2:02:55 We cannot let that happen.

2:02:57 Donald Trump, I'm calling on you to listen to survivors,

2:03:00 release all of the documents,

2:03:02 unredact all these people, prosecute the rest of these people,

2:03:06 and the investigate the remaining.

2:03:09 In addition, Glaine Maxwell should never ever ever receive clemency.

2:03:14 That monster should not be given pardon

2:03:17 and ensure every enabler of Epstein faces consequences,

2:03:20 no matter who they are or their political affiliation.

2:03:24 Thank you, and I yield back.

2:03:30 Thank you.

2:03:30 Now we'll have Representative Stanbury.

2:03:34 All right.

2:03:34 Well, good morning everyone and I just want to start out by acknowledging

2:03:39 our survivors who are here with us and to those of you who spoke.

2:03:44 People tell you all the time that you're brave and you are,

2:03:48 but I know that it comes at great cost to yourself, great cost to your families.

2:03:54 But I want you to know and part of why I asked the staff to hold up this picture

2:03:58 is because you are literally changing the face

2:04:02 of the planet by standing up and telling your stories.

2:04:05 And even though the system is failing you again right now in Congress,

2:04:10 you are changing the world by helping people who are survivors,

2:04:14 who are victims, who have never had their stories

2:04:17 told publicly to know that they're not alone.

2:04:21 So, I want to say thank you for everything that you are doing.

2:04:25 And I know that it's hard,

2:04:26 but what you're doing is changing the planet right now.

2:04:31 So, thank you for holding that up.

2:04:34 I came I got in early yesterday and um I went for a walk.

2:04:41 I walked to downtown here in West Palm

2:04:44 Beach and then I walked across the bridge.

2:04:48 I think like millions of people across the country,

2:04:51 I've seen of course the documentary that documents

2:04:55 what happened here in West Palm Beach.

2:04:57 And I wanted to walk across the bridge that survivors

2:05:01 had told this story themselves of literally having been driven across.

2:05:06 But I don't think that I truly understood the power, the wealth,

2:05:12 the abuse that has happened in this community

2:05:16 until I saw the mansions and the estates, the private clubs and how inequality

2:05:24 is literally written into the landscape here.

2:05:29 And the reason why I wanted to start there is because there has

2:05:33 been a lot said about the system of abuse that Epstein and Maxwell perpetrated.

2:05:40 There has been a lot said about how grooming occurred, how recruitment happened,

2:05:45 and how he psychologically threatened, abused,

2:05:49 and used all these different tactics to abuse girls and women.

2:05:54 But I want to make one thing clear here today and I want

2:05:57 to ask some questions about this is we talk about the system failing.

2:06:02 The system didn't fail.

2:06:04 The system was designed to protect the wealthy.

2:06:08 The system was rigged from the beginning when those mansions were built.

2:06:12 The system was built on inequality.

2:06:16 The system was built on exploiting people.

2:06:20 It's written into the landscape here in West Palm Bay Beach.

2:06:24 It's written into the landscape in New Mexico where

2:06:27 Jeffrey Epstein went to Santa Fe with his rich friends

2:06:31 and recruited girls that he exploited and then trafficked

2:06:35 to other rich friends that he flew to New Mexico.

2:06:39 This wasn't failure.

2:06:40 This was a system.

2:06:42 It was a system of exploitation.

2:06:45 It was a system of abuse.

2:06:47 And it was a system of power.

2:06:50 And that's one of the things that I want

2:06:51 to really dive into here with my short time today.

2:06:56 Because the officials, the federal, the state, the local,

2:07:00 the attorney generals didn't just fail to investigate these cases.

2:07:05 They chose not to investigate them.

2:07:08 They chose to take bribes and kickbacks and campaign donations.

2:07:13 The police department here in West Palm Beach

2:07:16 chose to take a donation from Jeffrey Epstein.

2:07:19 The police and sheriffs and others in other

2:07:23 cities and states chose to take take donations.

2:07:29 And right now, while this is not a partisan issue,

2:07:34 this administration is choosing to not investigate

2:07:38 the crimes that are in these files.

2:07:40 This administration is choosing to release

2:07:44 the names of survivors and not perpetrators.

2:07:48 This administration is choosing to not investigate or indict a single man

2:07:55 who committed rape of a child or woman that is in the files.

2:08:00 And this administration is choosing to gaslight the American people.

2:08:07 While all over the world, foreign officials are arresting,

2:08:10 investigating, a prince has been taken down.

2:08:14 And here in the United States, our Department of Justice,

2:08:17 which is sitting on millions of files, is refusing to act.

2:08:23 That is not a failure.

2:08:25 That is a choice.

2:08:27 That is a system built on wealth, inequality and exploitation of women,

2:08:33 of girls, of children, and a system built to protect the powerful.

2:08:38 That is a system.

2:08:40 And it is a system that Jeffrey Epstein developed here in West Palm Beach.

2:08:44 And then it is a system that he he exported to places like the Virgin Islands,

2:08:50 to New Mexico, and to all of the places that he operated.

2:08:56 And so I want us to think about as we're moving forward with this investigation,

2:09:04 we can investigate all the hundreds or even thousands

2:09:08 of micro decisions that were made by local police,

2:09:12 by sheriffs, by state police, by the department of justice,

2:09:16 by AGs who chose to turn a blind eye and not prosecute these crimes.

2:09:21 But the only way we are actually going to get

2:09:23 justice in this case is by changing the system itself.

2:09:27 And that's exactly what you guys are doing.

2:09:30 And it's powerful.

2:09:32 You're literally taking on the entire world right

2:09:34 now and a system of wealth and inequality.

2:09:38 So I want to ask the survivors because I feel like you get

2:09:44 asked all the time to retell your stories and I've read your stories.

2:09:49 Anyone can go in the files and read your stories,

2:09:51 but I want to hear from you what justice would look like in this case.

2:09:56 So maybe starting here in the end.

2:10:00 It's always a sore sore subject because I'm just like

2:10:04 at at this point honestly I don't think justice will ever

2:10:08 be served in this case and and that's just my experience

2:10:14 of the past 20 years that I've dealt with it.

2:10:18 Um, if I were really optimistic and it did, I think it would be for one,

2:10:24 the Crime Victim's Rights Act, we have to fix that law.

2:10:28 Um, also education in the school systems, uh,

2:10:34 maybe like with the sex ed or just there

2:10:37 has to be more education on what grooming is, on what sex trafficking is.

2:10:43 It's not, you know, I think a lot of people

2:10:44 have a picture in their head that is just not reality.

2:10:51 Um, and for me being that this happened in Palm Beach County,

2:10:56 I think there needs to be like a building and I think that the f the first

2:11:01 72 hours that a survivor tells their story

2:11:04 and comes forward and says, "Okay, I'm ready.

2:11:07 I'm ready to tell this." And there it's such a crucial time.

2:11:13 I think there needs to be something dedicated in Palm Beach

2:11:16 County to all of our childhoods that were lost and taken.

2:11:21 You know, when we came forward and we told our stories, man,

2:11:25 I was treated like a criminal from the by the federal government.

2:11:30 And I I just think I guess justice would be change.

2:11:39 I don't know what justice looks like anymore.

2:11:43 It's I'm just blown away that this is our government that uh is handling this.

2:11:50 But justice would be like Courtney said, um accountability.

2:11:58 These people that did wrong should be held accountable for what they did to us.

2:12:03 Of course, we know that.

2:12:04 But do we think do I think that is gonna truly happen?

2:12:08 Probably not.

2:12:09 Look at how this has gone on.

2:12:11 Um, but education is so very important.

2:12:15 Our kids are listening.

2:12:16 They're watching this.

2:12:18 They're hearing.

2:12:19 And for the first time for a lot of children,

2:12:21 this is the first time they are even hearing about something like this.

2:12:24 And so education is important.

2:12:26 If we can't take these bad guys off the streets,

2:12:30 let's teach our kids how to protect themselves in this.

2:12:33 And so, but I hope the government gets it together.

2:12:37 Maybe we get some justice.

2:12:40 I think justice starts with passing Virginia's law.

2:12:43 I think that's a really great place to start

2:12:46 because justice shouldn't have a time limit, right?

2:12:49 I know at almost 40,

2:12:51 like I'm about to turn 40 this year and uh I'm just able to look at my abuse.

2:12:57 I'm just able to sit and write it and read it.

2:13:00 And so, um, I think there are a lot of survivors who have never come forward.

2:13:05 So, that would be a start passing Virginia's law,

2:13:07 changing the statute of limitations.

2:13:09 Um, there's a culture shift that really needs to happen where the blame

2:13:13 needs to be placed on the perpetrator and not on the victim.

2:13:16 Similar to Courtney's experience, my in my experience with law enforcement, um,

2:13:21 I was so terrified and I did feel like I

2:13:23 was being interrogated the entire time that I was there.

2:13:26 I thought that I was going to go to jail that day.

2:13:28 I was like, my life is over.

2:13:30 um it didn't really make me want to talk to anybody,

2:13:33 but the FBI came back to my home in 2019.

2:13:36 Anyway, I'll have all to say it was very threatening feeling.

2:13:39 So, having um an advocate in those spaces would also be really important.

2:13:44 But, um yeah, just elevating survivor rights and making

2:13:47 sure that we start with that baseline of Virginia's law.

2:13:52 Yeah.

2:13:54 So I come from a different country and uh I have a job and if you come to me

2:14:01 and you ask me what should I do and ask

2:14:04 question about my job I'll give you an answer.

2:14:06 I appreciate you asking that question but I don't know that's your job.

2:14:12 You guys have to figure out how to make justice, not me.

2:14:17 And um you can't give me justice like this.

2:14:27 I when I came to this country,

2:14:29 I thought something is going to be different and I

2:14:35 am shocked that this is happening here in United States.

2:14:39 You keep on saying this is the worst case in United States but it's not.

2:14:43 This is the worst case in the world.

2:14:46 This never happened to me in other places

2:14:48 and I traveled as a model all over the world.

2:14:52 This didn't happen to me there.

2:14:53 It happened to me here.

2:14:56 You need to figure it out and I hope you do.

2:15:00 And I hope this never happens again to any anybody.

2:15:04 Keep it in the history books.

2:15:06 Don't stop fighting.

2:15:07 Don't let it go away.

2:15:08 I don't I I wish one day we all can sit there and never hear the name,

2:15:14 but I also hope that we will forever so this never happens again.

2:15:20 Good luck.

2:15:22 Thank you, Mr.

2:15:26 Chairman.

2:15:26 I think that says it all.

2:15:28 It's our job.

2:15:30 So, thank you.

2:15:32 Thank you so much, uh, Representative Frost.

2:15:35 Thank you so much.

2:15:36 Um, I want I want to talk about something very specific.

2:15:39 As we know, Jeffrey Epstein traffked and abused women and girls,

2:15:42 not just in Florida and New York, but internationally, across the globe.

2:15:47 This case shines a light on the truth of sex trafficking,

2:15:50 and it informs us as members of Congress of the changes and the reforms

2:15:54 we need to pursue in many different areas that sometimes seem different,

2:15:57 but are all connected.

2:15:59 I want to first thank you all for coming here today,

2:16:02 especially the survivors, and sharing your stories.

2:16:04 In many instances, we have seen that traffickers and sexual

2:16:07 predators control employment opportunities for the people that they abuse.

2:16:12 This happens everywhere from working communities to the wealthiest

2:16:15 and the most powerful pockets of society.

2:16:18 Right here, this is from documents produced to the committee.

2:16:21 It appears to show copies of passports

2:16:23 in Epstein's possession belonging to young women.

2:16:26 We believe many of these are survivors.

2:16:29 Epstein's network is bigger than what many people understand.

2:16:32 and it stretched across the entire globe.

2:16:35 And we know that Epstein did not act alone.

2:16:37 Him and his associates exploited financial and immigration systems,

2:16:42 broken immigration systems to traffic women and girls.

2:16:46 Epstein helped women enroll in English language schools,

2:16:49 facilitated their admission into American universities

2:16:52 to help them get uh visas, and helped them secure jobs,

2:16:57 all as a premise to get for getting the women into the United States.

2:17:01 We questioned Epstein's lawyer about this and his accountant about

2:17:05 the sham marriages which they helped arrange for immigration purposes.

2:17:09 And many of these women sadly became survivors of Epstein's abuse.

2:17:15 Um Rosa, thank you so much for your very powerful testimony.

2:17:19 Um why did you why did you come to the United States?

2:17:23 You spoke a little bit about this.

2:17:26 I was a model.

2:17:27 I came here thinking that my modeling career is going to be continued here.

2:17:35 I traveled before United States and I was very successful.

2:17:39 When I was able to escape the ring of Jeffrey Epstein,

2:17:43 I was a successful model afterwards but only after during it I couldn't.

2:17:51 So you came for opportunity.

2:17:54 Yes.

2:17:54 And and we we told you, right?

2:17:57 We told the entire world, we've told the entire world,

2:18:00 come to the United States for opportunity.

2:18:01 This is a land of opportunity,

2:18:02 where you can be anyone, where you can do anything, right?

2:18:06 Yes.

2:18:06 New York City was a top of a list

2:18:09 for any model traveling and getting a contract.

2:18:14 Rosa, can you help us understand how Epstein uh Brunell and their associates

2:18:18 use the promises of modeling jobs to recruit you and other women?

2:18:27 When you enter a modeling, you have a dream of ending up in walking

2:18:32 Victoria's Secret show or in a cover of Vogue magazines.

2:18:36 So when you're a teenager and somebody approaches you saying that they

2:18:41 can be there to help you and be your word ally,

2:18:46 I hate that word really because that was used many many times in trying

2:18:53 to make me believe that they are my ally in order to get those jobs.

2:18:58 So naturally it comes across like these people care and you believe them.

2:19:06 Why?

2:19:07 Because you're just a teenager.

2:19:08 You It doesn't look really scary to begin with.

2:19:13 So they gain your trust and then they put

2:19:16 you in a situation where financially you can't leave.

2:19:21 The the ticket back home cost $1,300 round trip.

2:19:26 I was giving a $100 a week in New York City to survive.

2:19:32 And if any of you go to New York City today and try to live of $100, good luck.

2:19:38 Oh yeah.

2:19:40 Um Rosa, we also know that EP,

2:19:41 you're an immigrant and we know that Epstein and his network

2:19:45 also manipulated and threatened women using their visas or immigration status.

2:19:50 Can you talk about your experience with this?

2:19:53 Every time I came to my agency or Epstein,

2:19:56 which I didn't know why I came to him,

2:19:59 I beg them to let me go back to other places I used to model

2:20:04 before on which they said why you're not going to do well there so stay here.

2:20:13 What do you need?

2:20:14 I would say job.

2:20:17 And then they offered me job.

2:20:22 um they didn't give me money to purchase

2:20:24 a ticket and I didn't have a credit card.

2:20:26 I didn't have my parents sending me money.

2:20:28 I couldn't afford a ticket back.

2:20:31 So they used my dreams against me saying

2:20:35 that this is just the time and everything

2:20:37 is going to be okay and if I trust them all my dreams going to come true.

2:20:43 We know that he weaponized um people's immigration status, right?

2:20:48 and the fact that they were immigrants against them to manipulate them to force

2:20:52 them into um his horrible crimes and and the horrible things he did to them.

2:20:56 There are so many changes that need to come from this investigation.

2:21:00 And I think it's important that we also remember immigrant

2:21:03 women are disproportionately impacted by sex trafficking in the United States.

2:21:07 Epstein exploited this broken immigration system to do these crimes.

2:21:12 Um and I think your story and your testimony shows

2:21:14 that and many of the other stories and testimonies that we've heard.

2:21:17 This investigation shows us that we have to fix this system,

2:21:20 not just demonize immigrants.

2:21:22 And in a moment where the same people that are obstructing this investigation,

2:21:27 the same people who are engaged in the cover up of this investigation are also

2:21:30 the one demonizing immigrants across this country, shows us the real truth.

2:21:34 that if we spent a modicum of the money and energy

2:21:37 that this government is using to go terrorize our communities

2:21:40 and round up innocent people to go after the billionaire pedophiles

2:21:44 and sex traffickers and people who

2:21:47 have exploited this broken immigration system, maybe we'd had some justice here.

2:21:51 And so, just thank you so much for being here and sharing your testimony.

2:21:54 I yield back.

2:22:01 And now I'll recognize Miss Lee from Pennsylvania.

2:22:05 Thank you, ranking member.

2:22:07 Um, I want to start like many by just grounding

2:22:11 us in the people who have uh too often been ignored.

2:22:15 Survivors like Danny Binsky,

2:22:17 who was just 17 when she was lured to work for Jeffrey

2:22:20 Epstein with false promises that uh

2:22:23 and then threatened with her mother's illness.

2:22:25 Rosa who was trafficked across borders and abused for years,

2:22:29 Courtney Wild who not only survived abuse but then had to lead a legal

2:22:34 fight for recognition by a Department

2:22:36 of Justice that was supposed to protect her.

2:22:38 And General Lisa Jones who has sounded the alarm that a poulry

2:22:43 release of DOJ fouls hints at a possible probable cover up.

2:22:48 I just want to thank you all for being here, for continuing to show up,

2:22:52 for your continued courage and your commitment to justice.

2:22:54 We recognize that you are unfortunately four

2:22:57 of very very many many more survivors.

2:22:59 And I hope you know that your presence today means us uh

2:23:02 means to survivors across this country how important it is to them.

2:23:06 For decades, survivors have worked in good faith with law enforcement to try

2:23:10 to expose Epstein and his co-conspirators only

2:23:13 to have their interests and their needs ignored.

2:23:15 from a bogus non-prosecu uh prosecution agreement

2:23:18 way back in 2008 to the inexcusable release of personal identifying information

2:23:24 from Pam Bondi and Todd Blanch's DOJ.

2:23:27 The DOJ seems perfectly capable of concealing the names of these rich

2:23:31 in these powerful folks in the files that have been released.

2:23:34 But they did not give that same level of care to the actual survivors.

2:23:38 And here in Florida,

2:23:40 Alex Aosta spent more time cutting the deal with Kenneth Star,

2:23:44 Alan Darowitz, and other well-connected lawyers

2:23:47 working for Epstein and with Epstein,

2:23:50 then he did actually listening to survivors.

2:23:53 This sweetheart deal enabled Epste to continue abusing survivors

2:23:57 while he was out on work release, as we've heard.

2:23:59 The DOJ has failed to indict any other perpetrator

2:24:03 of sex trafficking beyond Epstein and Maxwell despite all

2:24:06 the complaints and the reports that other individuals were implicated

2:24:10 involved including from survivors themselves who have named these people.

2:24:14 They seem to have no plans to do so.

2:24:16 So s top blanch stating that the Epstein vows quote should not be a part

2:24:19 of anything going forward unquote is where we need uh to spend a little time.

2:24:25 This is a glaring proof of a two-tier

2:24:27 justice uh system of justice in this country.

2:24:30 Mr.

2:24:30 Cuban, the saga began with a failure at the state

2:24:32 level when prosecutors declined to fully pursue justice against Jeffrey Epste.

2:24:36 Right.

2:24:38 Correct.

2:24:38 You represented one of the first survivors in Florida.

2:24:40 We saw a nonprosecution agreement

2:24:42 that showed Epste and protected his associates.

2:24:44 Can you explain why that agreement was so unusual and how harmful it was?

2:24:49 So, first of all, as I said before, it was unusual because ordinarily the US

2:24:53 Attorney's Office would consult with counsel for the victims and talk about

2:24:57 the potential charges that they're going to bring.

2:24:59 And they never did that.

2:25:00 They kept it secret.

2:25:02 They would not answer phone calls.

2:25:03 When I was able to get through to the US attorney at the time,

2:25:06 who was Maria Vilifa, uh she said, "I can't talk to you." Second,

2:25:11 it was so unusual because it not only gave immunity to Jeffrey Epste,

2:25:15 who is the target of their investigation,

2:25:17 but it gave immunity to co-conspirators

2:25:19 without prosecution of those co-conspirators

2:25:22 or even a hint of prosecution of four specifically named co-conspirators.

2:25:27 Lastly, the most unusual part of that deal

2:25:30 was that they added the phrase unnamed co-conspirators.

2:25:35 I have never in 30 years doing this ever seen a non-prosecution

2:25:39 agreement so broad as to say

2:25:41 that they're giving immunity to unnamed individuals.

2:25:45 It was a gift.

2:25:46 Miss Wow, really quickly, you can you tell us more about those emails

2:25:50 between Epstein lawyers and the prosecutors and what

2:25:53 made them seem different from what you would

2:25:54 think a typical plea uh negotiation would look like?

2:25:57 Yes, ma'am.

2:25:58 When we when me and Brad Edwards uh were able to we got the emails,

2:26:03 it was literally friends there.

2:26:05 Hey, they were meeting at Starbucks.

2:26:07 They were meeting off the record, wherever they wanted.

2:26:10 Um these were friends literally negotiating how much time,

2:26:15 what it would look like, what the charges were going to look like,

2:26:19 what they were going to say during the grand jury.

2:26:21 It was it was all scripted.

2:26:24 It was all set up.

2:26:26 Cover up.

2:26:27 I just want to say really quickly, does any survivor feel have have you felt

2:26:31 protected or seen or heard by the government?

2:26:35 No, ma'am.

2:26:35 Just know my none of my the redactions

2:26:38 none of my information have been redacted.

2:26:41 This is about a system that asks survivors to carry the burden of proof,

2:26:44 the burden of patience, the burden of pain.

2:26:46 While people with wealth and power are given time and protection and silence.

2:26:51 Well, we're here today because of Jeffrey Epste.

2:26:53 Sexual abuse survivors across this country know all

2:26:55 too well that he is not an anomaly.

2:26:57 But he's a high-profile example of a system that too often works

2:27:00 exactly as designed to shield abusers and silence those that they harm.

2:27:04 So, to all of the survivors,

2:27:05 the fierce attorney advocates who are with us here today,

2:27:08 I just want to thank you for coming forward.

2:27:09 Despite the many frustrations, the threats,

2:27:11 the dangers, and the setbacks that you've experienced,

2:27:13 we have a responsibility to all survivors who are still waiting,

2:27:17 to the ones who have never gotten justice,

2:27:19 and to the ones watching right now to say that this ends here.

2:27:22 And we take that very seriously.

2:27:23 I thank you all so much and I yel back.

2:27:26 Thank you so much.

2:27:31 Thank you so much, Miss Lee.

2:27:32 And now I am going to recognize myself for five minutes.

2:27:37 Um, I've been smiling probably more than I am supposed

2:27:42 to as I've sat here because y'all bring me so much joy.

2:27:47 And let me tell you why.

2:27:49 The reason is this.

2:27:51 It's because in spite or despite this incompetent government,

2:27:57 y'all have not backed down.

2:27:59 For some people, it is the very first time that they're seeing your faces.

2:28:04 But you have been there when no cameras are rolling.

2:28:07 You have been there for decades and you are still showing up.

2:28:11 The reality is that you are not a child in this moment,

2:28:14 but you know that other children are potentially

2:28:18 being subjected to something similar in this exact moment.

2:28:22 And it is your courage that is contagious.

2:28:25 We don't have that unfortunately in Congress.

2:28:27 We got a bunch of cowards.

2:28:30 But your courage is contagious.

2:28:33 Think about it this way.

2:28:34 One of the things that I really want

2:28:35 to clarify because I have had an opportunity

2:28:38 to hear some of your stories and meet

2:28:40 with some of you in person and behind closed doors.

2:28:44 A lot of people who potentially are not on the right side of history right now.

2:28:49 One of the common questions that they ask is how is it that this could

2:28:55 have happened to so many people yet when you were going through your experience

2:29:01 you failed to see anybody else or know anything else and you thought that you

2:29:06 were all alone and I know that that is something you have told me directly.

2:29:11 So for the people that are watching

2:29:14 and they're hearing numbers like man thousands of girls

2:29:17 but at the same time they're hearing you know

2:29:20 what I never saw anything else whoever feels most

2:29:24 comfortable if you will because for me I