Through the tears, a group of women who say they were victims of Jeffrey Epstein shared their stories in Capitol Hill when they asked legislators to support the release of records that the Department of Justice has retained until now from Congress.
“This is not a hoax. It will not disappear,” said Marina Laceda, a central witness in Epstein’s accusation in 2019 who spoke with ABC News.
Anouska de Georgiou, Epstein’s first survivor and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell to move on to the podium, said the victims are joining for their voices to be heard.
The survivor Anouska of Georgiou embraces the survivor Danielle Bensky while the survivor Marina Lacerda observes during a press conference with alleged victims of the dishonored financier and sex dealer Jeffrey Epstein, on September 3, 2025 in Washington.
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“The days of sweeping this under the carpet are over. The survivors say ‘no more,” he said.
“I am no longer weak, I am no longer impotent and I am no longer alone. And with your vote, nor the next generation,” he said. “President Trump, you have so much influence and power in this situation. Please use that influence and power to help us, because we need it now, and this country needs it now.”
Marina Laceda, victim of the deceased financial Jeffrey Epstein, speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, on September 3, 2025.
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Anouska de Georgiou, who testified about sexual abuse in the case of Jeffrey Epstein, speaks during a press conference and demonstration in support of Epstein’s victims and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell outside the United States Capitol in Washington, DC on September 3, 2025.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP through Getty Images
Trump was asked about the press conference by pressing transparency in Epstein archives at the White House on Wednesday. He continued to insist that it was an “Epstein deception” that distracted the success of his administration.
“This is a Democratic hoax that never ends,” Trump said.
However, surviving after survivor, implored legislators to support a bipartisan impulse of Republican representative Thomas Massie and Democratic representative Rue Khanna to force the Department of Justice to publicly release Epstein’s archives.
“Mr. President, Donald J. Trump, I am a registered Republican, it is not that this matters, because this is not a politician, however, I cordially invite it to the Capitol to meet me in person so that I can understand that this is not a hoax. We are real human beings. This is a real trauma,” said survivor Haley Robson.
Haley Robson, victim of the Financial Jeffrey Epstein, speaks during a press conference to discuss the draft transparency law of Epstein Files in Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on September 3, 2025.
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Sometimes growing emotionally, some survivors also detailed the abuse they said they suffered at the hands of Epstein, some say that abuse occurred when they were teenagers.
“I had never been more scared in my life than the first time he hurt me,” Jena-Lisa Jones said. She said she met Epstein when she was 14 years old.
“I know he was just a small child, but sometimes I still feel my fault that happened,” he added through tears.
“It’s time for us to see behind the curtain. Why was Jeffrey Epstein so protected? Who is still being protected? And who protected them all, so that the world can understand how Jeffrey was able to abuse us for so long,” said Courtney Wild, an Epstein survivor.
Representative Thomas Massie and representative Marjorie Taylor Greene attend a press conference with alleged victims of dishonor financing and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein outside the United States Capitol, on September 3, 2025 in Washington.
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Until now, four Republicans have signed the high request of Massie and Khanna, a procedure tool to avoid leadership of the Republican Party and force a vote. These signatories include Massie, representatives Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Bobert.
If the 212 Democrats sign the request, only two Republicans are needed to reach the 218 necessary to force to vote on the floor of the camera.
“I hope my colleagues are watching this press conference. I want them to think, what if this were your sister? What if this were your daughter?” Massie said.
“Today we stand with the survivors, we face great money, we stop to protect the children of the United States. That’s what Khanna said Wednesday.
The lawyer Bradley Edwards, who has represented more than 200 survivors of Epstein, said the impulse should “pass with flying colors.”
“While we have seen the documents, it has not done so, and when you see the documents, it will be horrified,” Edwards said at the press conference.
People demonstrate during the position with the survivors in support of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, in Washington, on September 3, 2025.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP through Getty Images
However, the republican leadership of the House of Representatives opposes the effort of Massie and Khanna, as well as the White House.
The speaker Mike Johnson urged Republicans not to support Massie’s high request during a closed conference meeting on Wednesday morning, according to multiple sources.
“It does not properly protect innocent victims, and that is a critical component,” Johnson said on Tuesday from the high request.
Instead, Johnson argued that the ongoing investigation of the Chamber’s Supervision Committee, which has cited records of the Department of Justice and Epstein’s assets, is the best way because the committee investigators will be seen on the archives and will write any identification or confidential information in another way.
The Supervision Committee of the House of Representatives on Tuesday night launched tens of thousands of pages related to Epstein, much of which was already publicly known.
The representative Thomas Massie speaks during a press conference to discuss the draft transparency law of Epstein’s archives in Capitol Hill in Washington, on September 3, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
“For the American people, do not let this deceive you,” said representative Robert García, the main democrat of the Supervision Committee of the House of Representatives, after the launch. “After careful review, supervision democrats have discovered that 97% of the documents received from the Department of Justice were already public. No list of clients or anything that improves transparency or justice for victims is mentioned.”
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and accused in a federal accusation of child sexual conspiracy and trafficking. He died in custody a month later, while waiting for the trial. His death was governed a suicide hanging.
Maxwell was sentenced in 2021 by a federal jury on sex trafficking and other positions. He is currently fulfilling a 20 -year prison sentence to help and participate in the traffic of minor girls from Epstein, which involved a plan to recruit young women and girls for Epstein massages who became sexual.
