Representatives of victims convicted of sexual offenses Jeffrey Epstein condemned the US Department of Justice on Friday for just partially releasing investigative documents, while at least one survivor said she felt “redeemed” by the documents.
The documents were published under Epstein File Transparency Actwhich obliged to disclose information by December 19. The law allows records to be withheld if they threaten an ongoing investigation, compromise national security or identify Epstein's victims.
However, the initial disclosure did not comply with this law. Todd Blanche, deputy attorney general, said the Justice Department would not release all of its files Friday despite the deadline, and the files released Friday afternoon did not appear complete. “I expect that we will release more documents over the next few weeks,” Blanche told Fox News. interview.
Leading lawmakers responded by threatening legal action “due to violations of federal law.”
Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer representing Epstein survivors, said in a statement after publication that it was “not surprising” that the Justice Department could not meet the deadline.
“Unfortunately, the Department of Justice has been dragging its feet for the last 18 years on these documents, so victims don't expect much in the way of openness or honesty,” Kuvin said. “These young women have been lied to and repeatedly denied justice by a system designed to protect them. The public must demand more and continue to demand accountability.”
Gloria Allred, lawyer with presented more than 20 Epstein survivors told CNN after revelations that the Justice Department had repeatedly failed victims.
“The administration has resisted releasing Epstein's files,” she said. “The question is, is there a cover-up? What are they hiding? What is there that perhaps some powerful people wouldn't want to reveal? … Survivors are fighting to get all the files made public.” [because] they want responsibility. If there are rich, powerful, famous men who have trafficked, assisted, or conspired to sex traffic underage girls, they want to know who these people are. They want to know what evidence was against them.”
Jess Michaels, Epstein survivor who was insisting on disclosure, said on MS Now that she was “very emotional” but glad that the Justice Department's obfuscations were now so obvious to the public: “I also feel strangely vindicated because in plain sight, and even with an act of Congress, we see the same delays, negligence, corruption, incompetence that we have continually seen and publicized. So they actually proved our point.”
But Jennifer Freeman, a lawyer representing Epstein survivor Maria Farmer, said in an email shortly after the files were released that the fact that some of them were finally made public was a day of “triumph and tragedy for Maria and many survivors.”
The records, she said, confirmed that Farmer told the FBI about the crimes of Epstein and his confidante Ghislaine Maxwell in 1996.
“If the government had done its job and properly investigated Maria's report, more than 1,000 victims could have been saved and 30 years of trauma avoided,” Farmer said. “After years of requests for her records, the government today finally released at least some of them.” Freeman highlighted a document from the files that she said supported Farmer's original complaint.
On CNN, Freeman read a statement on Farmer's behalf that said, “Thank you for believing in me. I feel redeemed. This is one of the best days of my life. Of course, that's mixed with the fact that I'm devastated for all the other girls… who were harmed because the FBI didn't do their job… I cry tears of joy for myself, but also tears of sorrow for all the victims.”
Farmer, artist, was among the first report sex crimes to Epstein and Maxwell in the 1990s.
Trump signed legislation requiring the release of Epstein's files after months of hesitation in favor of releasing the files. Although Trump promised to release the files during the campaign, his Justice Department has repeatedly failed to deliver on that promise, largely releasing documents that were already in the public domain.
The Justice Department faced backlash when announced said in July that a list of Epstein's clients did not exist and said: “While we have made every effort to provide the public with as much information as possible about Epstein and have ensured that any evidence in the government's possession has been reviewed, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have concluded that further disclosure is not appropriate or warranted.”
Wall Street Journal reported that the President's name appeared repeatedly in these files. Trump denies any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's crimes and categorically denies any wrongdoing.
“It’s not news that Epstein was a member of the Mar-a-Lago club, because it’s the same club.” Donald Trump Epstein was kicked out for being a scoundrel,” White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said earlier. “These stories are tiresome and pathetic attempts to distract from all the successes of President Trump’s administration.”
Lauren Hersh, national director of the anti-human trafficking nonprofit World Without Exploitation, said before the disclosure: “Hundreds of thousands of files remain to be reviewed, which speaks to just how horrific Epstein's crimes really are.”
“We want to ensure that our government acts with integrity to ensure that survivors are protected, those who caused harm are exposed, and the wheels of justice move quickly,” Hersh added. “It’s long past time for society to see the depth of pain and injustice.”
