Epstein Survivors Rally for Epstein Transparency Act: ‘We Matter Now’

On Wednesday, Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) organized a press conference and convened scores of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein in Washington, D.C. In recent weeks, as President Trump and the Justice Department continue to fumble the disturbing, decades-long public inquiry for the truth behind Epstein’s infamous client list and his criminal enterprise, Khanna and Massie have led a bipartisan push for answers.

The press conference spanned over an hour and included as many as 100 survivors who weren’t previously identified or who, for years, had chosen to remain silent, including Marina Lacerda. The 37-year-old publicly spoke for the first time on Wednesday about meeting Epstein when she was 14 after hearing about a job giving “an older guy a massage” for $300. Given her family’s financial struggles, Lacerda said she was working three jobs at the time, which made the opportunity with Epstein seem like “a dream job.” Like all other survivors, it soon became her “worst nightmare.” Lacerda went on to become a key witness in Epstein’s 2019 indictment, but was only identified as “Minor-Victim 1” in court records.

Other survivors like Maria Farmer, Haley Robson, Teresa Helm, and Anouska De Georgiou also spoke, urging for the release of more Epstein files via the Epstein Files Transparency Bill. Introduced by Khanna and Massie on July 30, 2025, the act requires the DOJ to publicly release all unclassified materials related to Epstein’s crimes in an accessible and downloadable format. According to Khanna, all 212 Democrats will sign the petition, while Massie has garnered the support of 12 Republicans. To date, it has a total of 134 signatures, including Massie and three other Republicans. Only two more Republican signatures are needed to force a vote.

“The stories we heard from survivors today were heartbreaking. This is about standing up for justice and transparency,” Khanna told Jezebel.

The press conference followed the House Oversight Committee’s release of Epstein-related documents on Tuesday. But Massie told reporters outside of the Capitol that the release was “only 1% of what they possess and 97% of it’s already been released.” That same day, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a closed-door meeting with Epstein survivors in which Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) left visibly crying.

“Full blown panic attack. Sweating. Hyperventilating. Shaking. I can’t breathe,” Mace, who accused her former fiancé and three other men of drugging and raping her and other women in February, wrote on Twitter of her reaction to the survivors’ testimony. Trump loyalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) has also taken a strong public stance in support of the survivors. Not only did she attend Wednesday’s press conference, but she also vowed to reveal “every damn name” of Epstein’s clients in a speech.

“The truth needs to come out and the government holds the truth,” Greene told reporters. “The cases that are sealed hold the truth, Jeffrey Epstein’s estate holds the truth. The FBI, the DOJ and the CIA holds the truth.”

Following the press conference, Trump told reporters that “nobody is ever satisfied.”

“They’re trying to get people to talk about something that’s totally irrelevant to the success that we’ve had since I’ve been president,” he said. “I think it’s enough. We should talk about the greatness we’re having.”

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