RO Khanna, Thomas Massie
A press conference with 10 victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be held on Wednesday at the US Capitol, where they are expected to demand public release of files related to Epstein’s crimes. The event is being organised by Representatives Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, and Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. Khanna says the victims’ testimonies could be “explosive” as many of them have never spoken publicly before. “When Epstein got that lenient plea deal, no one talked to the victims or their lawyers,” Khanna said Monday in a Fox News interview.Khanna further said “people are going to be outraged” after the press conference. “My belief is, when the American people actually hear the victims for the first time, they are going to sympathise, their hearts are going to be broken, and all the victims are saying is for closure,” he said.The Democrat added that the accounts would increase pressure on lawmakers to support a bill requiring the Justice Department to release the files. The two lawmakers need 218 signatures to advance the measure. With all 212 Democrats backing the effort, only six Republicans are needed, Khanna told NBC news. The Epstein case has created divisions within Republican ranks. US president Donald Trump’s administration has faced criticism including from his MAGA supporters for attempting to close the matter, despite earlier fuelling expectations of major disclosures. Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Epstein’s estate as part of an inquiry into possible mishandling of a federal investigation involving him and Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was later convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
