Washington, D.C. — Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring have criticized the U.S. House Oversight Committee after it released a cache of documents that they say adds little to the pursuit of justice.
On Tuesday, the committee published hundreds of pages of materials, including court filings, police body camera footage, and transcripts. Lawmakers touted the release as a step toward transparency, but much of the material had already been made public in previous years.
House Speaker Mike Johnson met with survivors and their families at the Capitol, promising that the effort was not only about exposing past crimes but also about preventing future abuses. Still, Democrats on the committee accused Republicans of staging a symbolic gesture rather than a meaningful disclosure.
For survivors, the move was particularly painful. The family of Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most vocal accusers who died earlier this year, gave an emotional interview to CNN. They demanded that all files be released and insisted that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate now serving a 20-year prison sentence, “should rot in prison.”
Advocates say the release underscores a broader struggle over transparency. While the public has gained access to another trove of records, the most sensitive investigative files remain under wraps. Survivors argue that without full disclosure, the truth about Epstein’s powerful network will remain incomplete.
The debate reflects deeper divisions in Washington over how far to go in exposing one of the most notorious sex trafficking cases in U.S. history. For survivors, however, the demand is simple: no more half measures.