Epstein survivors ask GOP Women's Caucus to support release of remaining Epstein files
A group of Jeffrey Epstein survivors is urging members of the Republican Women's Caucus to "stand up against abuse of power" and to take action to "end the silence and speculation" surrounding the notorious sex offender, according to a copy of a letter sent Monday to the caucus chairs, Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla. and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.
"Remind us that America is the country that we thought it was when we were little girls, before we were let down repeatedly by our own government," the letter states.
More than 20 Epstein survivors signed the letter, including several who were part of a high-profile visit to the nation's capital earlier this month, which included public events and a private meeting with lawmakers.
"We are mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and wives," the survivors' letter says. "We have sought justice for decades to no avail. We have been denied the basic rights that should be afforded to every American citizen time and time again. The fact that it took this long for anyone to care about us is a true American tragedy."
The survivors are requesting a meeting with members of the GOP Women's Caucus and are asking them to support efforts in Congress to require the Justice Department to make public all of its records on Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.
"We stand together in pain and resilience, and we are asking for your help. We have a right to feel safe in this country. We have a right to know why a serial sexual predator was treated with more humanity than we have ever experienced from our own government," the letter states.
Representatives from Cammack's and Britt's offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
The Trump administration has been dealing with the fallout from its decision not to release materials related to the investigation into Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in 2019, following the blowback it received from MAGA supporters after it announced in July that no additional files would be released.
The survivors' letter comes as the GOP-led House Oversight Committee continues its probe of the government's handling of investigations into Epstein's decades-long sex trafficking operation. The committee is scheduled to conduct a closed-door interview on Friday with R. Alexander Acosta, the former U.S. Attorney in Miami, who, in 2007, approved a non-prosecution agreement that ended a federal probe into Epstein's alleged sexual exploitation of dozens of minor girls at his Palm Beach home.
Under the deal, Epstein agreed to plead guilty to prostitution charges in state court and served 13 months of an 18-month sentence.
Acosta went on to serve as Secretary of Labor during the first Trump administration, but came under intense scrutiny and was forced to resign following Epstein's indictment in New York in 2019 on child sex trafficking charges. Acosta defended the deal with Epstein in a news conference four days after the multi-millionaire's arrest.
"The goal here was straightforward," Acosta said then. "Put Epstein behind bars, ensure he registered as a sexual offender, provide victims with a means to seek restitution, and protect the public by putting them on notice that a sexual predator was within their midst."
"We believe we proceeded appropriately," Acosta added.
A subsequent report released in November 2020 by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility found that Acosta had exercised "poor judgment" in the Epstein case, but determined that none of the federal prosecutors involved in the negotiations had committed professional misconduct or violated any clear and unambiguous rules of the DOJ.
A key finding of the OPR report faulted Acosta for deciding to resolve the case through a negotiated plea "before the investigation was completed," a decision the report described as "troubling" because the federal government was "uniquely positioned to fully investigate" Epstein's alleged conduct in Florida and elsewhere where Epstein had homes.
