‘People will be outraged’: More than 10 Epstein victims to hold Capitol press conference to demand Trump release file
A press conference featuring 10 victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is set for Wednesday at the US Capitol, where they are expected to push for the public release of files connected to Epstein’s crimes. The event is being organized by Representatives Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, and Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. Khanna has suggested that the victims’ accounts could be “explosive,” with several of them preparing to speak publicly for the first time. “When Epstein got that lenient plea deal, no one talked to the victims or their lawyers,” Khanna said Monday during an interview with Fox News.
Khanna also warned that “people are going to be outraged” following the event. “My belief is, when the American people actually hear the victims for the first time, they are going to sympathise, their hearts are going to be broken, and all the victims are saying is for closure,” he explained. He believes the testimony could increase momentum behind legislation requiring the Justice Department to make the files public. The proposed measure needs 218 signatures to move forward, and according to Khanna, with all 212 Democrats already in support, only six Republicans are required to cross the line. He shared this in comments to NBC News.
The Epstein scandal has exposed tensions within the Republican Party. Former president Donald Trump’s administration came under fire, even from parts of his MAGA base, for efforts to quietly close the matter after initially stoking expectations of sweeping revelations. At the same time, the House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena targeting Epstein’s estate as part of its probe into possible mishandling of the federal investigation involving him and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was later found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison, cementing the case as one of the most notorious scandals in recent history.
