Epstein Files Saga Continues: New Information Released

Woman holding sign at Epstein Files protest in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of Victoria Pickering via Flickr

The Jeffrey Epstein saga continues after the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform publicly released 33,295 pages of Epstein-related records. 

This comes a month after Chairman Comer issued a subpoena for any records related to the convicted sex offender. These include court documents, flight records and an extra two hours of video footage from Epstein’s cell block the night before he died by suicide in August 2019. 

However, House Democrats criticize, saying 97% of the released records were already within the public domain. The new knowledge includes flight logs of Epstein’s private jet, material originally kept by Customs and Border Protection.

At a Capitol Hill press conference, a day after the release of records, Epstein survivors gathered to encourage a bipartisan push for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bill to direct the Attorney General to make all documents related to Epstein publicly available. The women recounted some of the depraved and disturbing abuse they have suffered, urging President Donald Trump and other politicians to use their influence to obtain answers. 

It is not known whether there is a so-called “client list,” but the survivors state they are willing to compile their own. Lisa Phillips, a victim of Epstein, said at the conference, "Now, together as survivors, we will confidentially compile the names we all know were regularly in the Epstein world. And it will be done by survivors and for survivors. No one else is involved". 

In an ABC News interview, Brad Edwards, a victims’ rights lawyer for Epstein survivors, further discussed the need for clarity and cooperation from the U.S. government, as this saga is only harming the victims more. 

“Protect the victims' names, release everything else, so that the world can see what is real, versus what is total fiction, and then everybody can move on,” Edwards said, “I just wish everybody would step back and remember real people were hurt here, and let's try to do what's in their best interest, as opposed to politicizing this whole thing and making it the right versus the left.”

Following the press conference, President Trump was asked by reporters in the Oval Office about the push for more transparency on the matter. "It’s really a Democrat hoax because they're trying to get people to talk about something that's totally irrelevant to the success that we've had as a nation since I've been president,” he said.

Epstein, who was a wealthy financier with powerful connections, left behind hundreds, if not thousands, of sexual abuse and human trafficking victims. These victims’ stories are an “on again, off again” topic of discourse within the American government and its public, with little to no resolution.

The result of the “Epstein Files” saga is unknown, but the result will either send the message that violent crimes against women are unacceptable and should be met with consequences or that authority and power will shield those responsible from accountability.