Accusers of Epstein are urging Congress to make the files public.

 

A group of individuals who have accused Jeffrey Epstein shared their harrowing and emotional accounts of sexual abuse inflicted by the late convicted sex offender and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, on Wednesday. Their testimonies intensified the call for lawmakers to support the release of all documents related to the Justice Department's extensive investigation into Epstein.

One of the accusers, Marina Lacerda, referred to herself as "Minor Victim 1" in the federal indictment against Jeffrey Epstein in New York in 2019. "I was among the many girls that I personally know who were compelled to enter Jeffrey’s mansion located at 9 East 71st St. in New York City when we were merely children," she stated. "Today marks the first occasion on which I publicly share my experience."

“I was just 14 years old when I first encountered Jeffrey," Lacerda recounted, as one of several female accusers of Epstein who attended a press conference on Capitol Hill.

"It was during the summer of my high school years. I was juggling three jobs to help support my mother and sister when a neighborhood friend informed me that I could earn $300 by giving another man a massage," she explained, her voice breaking at times. "What began as a dream job quickly transformed into a horrific nightmare.

Another accuser of Epstein, Annie Farmer, claimed that at the age of 16, in 1996, she was flown to New Mexico to spend a weekend with Epstein and Maxwell, during which she was assaulted. Farmer stated that her sister, Maria, was also assaulted at that location, and that Epstein stole sensitive photographs of the sisters. According to Farmer, the incident was reported to the authorities.

"I am currently 46 years old; 30 years later, we still do not understand why that report was not thoroughly investigated, or why Epstein and his associates were permitted to harm hundreds, if not thousands, of other girls and young women," Farmer remarked.

"Not only did many others take part in the abuse, but it is evident that numerous individuals were aware of his interest in young girls and women and chose to ignore it because it was advantageous for them to do so," Farmer continued. "They sought access to his circle and his wealth. Their decision to align with his power left those of us who had suffered at the hands of this man and his associates feeling extremely isolated."

The shocking news conference was organized by Representatives Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and occurs as the bipartisan pair seeks to gather 218 signatures — half of the members of the House of Representatives — to compel a vote that would require the Justice Department to release all files related to the Epstein case.

The accusers present at the conference stated that if Congress is unwilling to release all investigative documents concerning Epstein, they would create their own list of names to hold those connected to Epstein accountable. "Together as survivors, we will confidentially compile the names we all recognize, who were frequently involved in the Epstein world," said Lisa Phillips, who claimed she was taken to Epstein’s island.

"We are the keys," added Haley Robson, who alleges she was trafficked by Epstein beginning at the age of 16. "We understand the games. We know the players."

As of Wednesday morning, 134 lawmakers had endorsed the Massie-Khanna discharge petition — 130 Democrats and four Republicans: Massie and Representatives Marjorie Taylor Green.