A gaggle of Democrats is asking for a congressional listening to with the victims of convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein and his affiliate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who they argue have firsthand accounts that “may not be sufficiently represented in the Department of Justice’s records.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a member of the Home Oversight Committee, led a bunch of Democrats on the panel, together with rating member Robert Garcia (Calif.) and Reps. Jasmine Crockett (Texas), Ro Khanna (Calif.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and others, in calling on Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) to carry a listening to.
“If we are to hold powerful people to account, our investigation must center the voices they tried to silence,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote of their letter. “To ensure that our investigation is comprehensive and credible, we urge the Committee to allow survivors the opportunity to provide their testimony if they wish to do so.”
The lawmakers argued that the victims, who suffered abuse from Epstein, are left with deep trauma that deserves to be heard, noting that “releasing the full, unredacted Epstein files will not tell the full story,” in accordance with a press launch from Pressley’s workplace.
It added that “hearing testimony from Maxwell, an unreliable and untrustworthy co-conspirator, while ignoring those who were abused, will only contribute to more pain for survivors and more misinformation for the public.”
“If the Committee is to conduct credible oversight, it must hear directly from survivors, or their representatives, who volunteer to advance our investigation on their own terms,” the lawmakers stated within the letter. “Some survivors have expressed a clear willingness and desire to come before Congress, and the Committee cannot meet their strength and bravery with inaction.”
The Home Oversight Committee has issued numerous subpoenas related to the Epstein case, together with to Maxwell for a deposition earlier than the panel. Comer agreed to a request to delay deposing her till after the Supreme Courtroom considers her petition to overturn her conviction for intercourse trafficking.
Comer additionally issued subpoenas to the Division of Justice (DOJ) and numerous high-profile former authorities officers, together with former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Trump administration continues going through backlash over the way it has dealt with data associated to Epstein, who died in 2019. The backlash notably has come from each side of the aisle and particularly from members of his personal base.
