A group of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein spoke on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, advocating for the release of all files related to the accused sex trafficker. Marina Lacerda, a key witness in Epstein's 2019 indictment, emphasized the seriousness of their cause. "This is not a hoax. It's not going to go away," she stated in an interview.

Anouska De Georgiou, the first survivor to address lawmakers, expressed the collective determination of the victims. "The days of sweeping this under the rug are over. We the survivors say 'no more,'" she declared. De Georgiou added, "I'm no longer weak, I am no longer powerless and I'm no longer alone. And with your vote, neither will the next generation."

She also called on former President Trump to use his influence to support their cause, saying, "Please use that influence and power to help us, because we need it now, and this country needs it now."

Survivors urged lawmakers to support a bipartisan initiative led by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna. This initiative aims to compel the Justice Department to publicly release Epstein's files. Some survivors shared their emotional accounts of the abuse they endured at Epstein's hands.

Massie appealed to his colleagues, asking them to consider the victims' plight. "I hope my colleagues are watching this press conference. I want them to think, what if this was your sister? What if this was your daughter?" he said. Khanna added, "Today we stand with survivors, we stand against big money, we stand to protect America's children. That is really what this is about."

Currently, four Republicans have signed the discharge petition initiated by Massie and Khanna, which is a procedural move to bypass GOP leadership and force a vote. The signers include Massie, Reps. Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Lauren Boebert. If all 212 Democrats support the petition, only two additional Republican votes are needed to reach the 218 required for a House floor vote.

Attorney Bradley Edwards, representing over 200 Epstein survivors, expressed confidence in the initiative's success. "This should pass with flying colors. While we have seen the documents, you haven't, and when you see the documents, you're going to be appalled," he stated.

However, House Republican leadership and the White House oppose the Massie and Khanna effort. Speaker Mike Johnson advised Republicans against supporting the discharge petition during a closed conference meeting. He argued that the petition does not adequately protect innocent victims, which he deemed critical.

Johnson suggested that the ongoing investigation by the House Oversight Committee, which has subpoenaed records from the Justice Department and Epstein's estate, is a more appropriate approach. The committee plans to review the files and redact any identifying or confidential information.

On Tuesday evening, the House Oversight Committee released tens of thousands of pages related to Epstein, much of which was already publicly known. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, criticized the release, stating, "After careful review, Oversight Democrats have found that 97% of the documents received from the Department of Justice were already public. There is no mention of any client list or anything that improves transparency or justice for victims."

Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on charges of conspiracy and child sex trafficking. He died in custody a month later, with his death ruled a suicide by hanging. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking charges and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein's trafficking of underage girls.

Before the news conference, several survivors and their families held a rally outside the Capitol. Survivor Liz Stein emphasized the importance of their voices, stating, "It's the voices of survivors of these crimes that are important, so we are here together to stand united."