Six women who say they were trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein or his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell stepped forward in Washington, D.C., demanding answers — and justice.
Speaking with NBC News, they urged the federal government to release more investigative files and pressed President Donald Trump to rule out any possibility of pardoning Maxwell. The panel also included relatives of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who tragically died by suicide in April.
“Epstein was a master manipulator,” said Jess Michaels, alleging Epstein raped her in 1991 when she was just 22. “No teenage girl had a chance against his psychopathic skills.”
Other survivors — Wendy Avis, Marijke Chartouni, Jena-Lisa Jones, Lisa Phillips, and Liz Stein — echoed the call for transparency. Some described being only 14 when Epstein first abused them. They accused federal officials of failing to protect and inform victims.
Just hours after their testimony, the House Oversight Committee released over 33,000 pages of documents tied to Epstein. Lawmakers from both parties, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), are now pushing for immediate release of all Epstein files.
🚨 NBC News to Epstein survivors:
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 3, 2025
Did anybody see or hear of President Trump himself doing anything inappropriate as it related to Jeffrey Epstein?
“No.” pic.twitter.com/5rJp2kOHLW
Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, but survivors say the network around him still hides in the shadows. Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence, continues to deny wrongdoing.
“If the officials won’t act, we’ll compile our own list and seek justice on our own,” said Lisa Phillips.
This plea from survivors marks one of the most powerful pushes yet for truth — and accountability.