The Files They Don’t Want You to See: Epstein’s Survivors Speak Out
Six Epstein Survivors Demand Transparency and Assure Resistance to Pardon
Six women who say they were trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein or his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell stepped into the spotlight Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to make a unified appeal: the federal government must release all investigative records tied to the Epstein case, and President Trump must commit to never pardon Maxwell. At the same time, they rejected unsubstantiated assertions involving Trump and Epstein’s victims.
The group, which included relative voices of Virginia Roberts Giuffre—one of the chief accusers who died by suicide in April—held a press-style panel and shared their stories with NBC News. Jess Michaels, who claims Epstein raped her in 1991 at age 22, warned of Epstein’s manipulative habits.
“Epstein was a master manipulator,” Michaels said.
“That was a strategy that was honed. No young woman, no teenage girl had a chance—not a chance against his psychopathic skills.”
She said her motivation to speak out stemmed from a “severe miscarriage of justice” and what she described as an unjust delay in holding powerful figures accountable.
Voices from Victims: Names and Stories
Other women on the panel—Wendy Avis, Marijke Chartouni, Jena‑Lisa Jones, Lisa Phillips, and Liz Stein—voiced strong backing for the release of Epstein-related documents, echoing momentum already building among bipartisan legislators. Their appearance came on the same day the Republican-led House Oversight Committee released over 33,000 pages of documents connected to Epstein.
Jena‑Lisa Jones, who says Epstein began abusing her at age 14, called out the silence she believes has enabled wrongdoing.
“There were many, many adults around [Epstein] who may not have actively participated but very clearly knew what was going on,” she said. “They’re not speaking up. Why are they still not saying anything and speaking on our behalf?”
Wendy Avis, also alleging abuse at 14, noted that she had never previously spoken publicly—yet felt compelled to join the call for transparency.
“Not everybody is getting justice, and that’s not right,” she said. “The everyday person is out there, and that’s me—we’re victims.”
Liz Stein added frustration with the Justice Department’s handling of survivor communication.
“We haven’t been protected, and we haven’t been informed,” Stein said.
Political Moves and Legislative Pressures
As the survivors testified, lawmakers across the aisle pressed the Justice Department for action. House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) is pushing to depose Maxwell—pending whether the Supreme Court agrees to hear her appeal. Concurrently, the House GOP introduced legislation demanding deeper probes into what they describe as potential mismanagement in the federal handling of the Epstein and Maxwell investigations.
On another front, Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) joined accusers at a press conference, calling for immediate release of all DOJ Epstein files. They are spearheading a discharge petition that, if it gains enough support, would force a House vote on the matter.
Trump had at first voiced support for releasing all related documents, but has more recently distanced himself from conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death or alleged client lists.
Backdrop: Epstein’s Death and Maxwell’s Conviction
Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. A subsequent review by the Justice Department found major procedural failures at the jail, but affirmed the cause of death as suicide.
Ghislaine Maxwell, now 63, is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted of recruiting and trafficking minors for Epstein. She is appealing the verdict. Recently released transcripts of two DOJ interviews show Maxwell denying wrongdoing, disavowing the existence of any client list, and insisting she never witnessed inappropriate behavior—either by Epstein or by associates including Trump. Shortly after that, Maxwell was moved from a Florida facility to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas—a transfer that drew sharp criticism from federal prison officials.
Lisa Phillips, one of the accusers, confronted authorities with a warning: survivors will not sit idle if the government fails to act.
“We’ve been compiling lists of our own,” Phillips said. “Please come forward, and we’ll compile our own list and seek justice on our own.”
The survivors’ demand for the release of government files and their plea for accountability adds urgency to a case already riddled with controversy and unanswered questions. Their unified voice resists erasure, insisting their stories and evidence cannot be sealed away indefinitely. Whether President Trump will take the step of renouncing a pardon for Maxwell—and whether Congress or the courts will compel full transparency—remains to be seen.