Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein Demand Full Disclosure and Lifting of Confidentiality
In a significant development, a Republican-led committee of the U.S. House of Representatives released an initial batch of over 33,000 pages of documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein on Tuesday. This move comes amidst a push for a House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bill demanding the full release of Justice Department documents relating to Epstein.
The press conference where these documents were discussed was held on the steps of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and was organized by US House representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY). Survivors of Epstein's alleged abuse, including Teresa Helm and Lisa Philipps, were present to make their case for allowing all the documents to be publicized.
Teresa Helm, who was groomed by Ghislaine Maxwell and sexually abused by Epstein in 2002 when she was 22, hopes the release of the files will lead to a further reckoning and expose guilt and responsibility. She works as the Survivor Services Coordinator at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and continues to work towards preventing others from going through what she has gone through.
Lisa Philipps, another survivor, echoed Helm's sentiments, calling for the full release of the Epstein files to help survivors be heard. Anouska De Georgiou, another accuser, accused Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein of abusing her for over 10 years. Maxwell was also accused of years of abuse by multiple women, including De Georgiou, and was complicit and enabling of Epstein's actions.
President Donald Trump referred to the demand for the release of the Epstein files as a "hoax". However, the politicization of the debate is a concern for Helm, who emphasizes accountability as a nationwide responsibility. She believes the issue is not political warfare, but an American thing that requires everyone to come together.
The interruption during the press conference was an apt metaphor for the struggle of Epstein's victims to be heard. Trump's campaign pledge to release a so-called client list backfired, triggering backlash from his own supporters. Attorney General Pam Bondi reversed course on whether such a list even exists.
The Epstein saga has persistently dogged the Trump White House. Despite this, the release of the Epstein files is a goal for Helm and others who seek justice for the victims and accountability for those involved. The accusers frame the issue as a test - who is allowed to do what to whom in America, and get away with it? The answer, according to the accusers, should be no one.
