A victim of Jeffrey Epstein has condemned what they called the Trump administration’s “political warfare” in its handling of government files on the late convicted sex offender as the Justice Department pushes for the release of grand jury transcripts in his New York federal case.
Epstein was a wealthy financier who died in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for federal sex trafficking charges. He had been accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. About a decade earlier, Epstein pleaded guilty to Florida state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution.
Early last month, the DOJ and FBI came out with a memo stating there was no so-called client list of powerful people who may have partaken in Epstein’s crimes; it also said Epstein did, in fact, die by suicide, and “no further disclosure [of information regarding Epstein] would be appropriate or warranted.”
The memo sparked backlash, notably from Trump’s own base, as it left many unanswered questions and concerns the government may be covering up materials that would be of interest to the public.
Trump then asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to “produce any and all pertinent” grand jury testimony from the investigations into Epstein, “subject to Court approval,” citing the “ridiculous amount of publicity” over them.
A Florida judge quickly denied the DOJ’s request but the feds’ bid in New York is still being considered. Victims in the New York case were asked to respond to the DOJ’s request and two of them did so in court documents filed Monday. Both were unnamed as is their right to remain anonymous.
One Epstein survivor wrote to District Judge Richard Berman, “Dear United States, I wish you would have handled and would handle the whole ‘Epstein Files’ with more respect towards and for the victims. I am not some pawn in your political warfare.”
“What you have done and continue to do is eating at me day after day as you help to perpetuate this story indefinitely. Why not be completely transparent? Show us all the files with only the necessary redactions! Be done with it and allow me/us to heal,” the victim said.
In the letter to the judge the victim also seemingly called out the Trump administration for what they said was its protection of the wealthy over Epstein’s victims.
“You protect yourself and your powerful and wealthy ‘friends’ (not enemies) over the victims, why? The victims know the truth, we know who are in the files and now so do you,” the victim said.
It’s unclear who exactly the victim was referring to, but Trump’s decades-old relationship with Epstein has recently been scrutinized, and there have been reports the president was told his name appears in the Epstein files. Trump reportedly cut ties with Epstein before his 2008 plea deal and appearing in the files does not mean there was any wrongdoing. Trump himself has denied any wrongdoing.
The victim asked Berman to have the attorneys of the victims review any suggested redactions if the transcripts are released.
The Independent has reached out to the DOJ for comment.
Another victim told Berman: “The latest attention on the ‘Epstein Files’, the ‘Client List’ is OUT OF CONTROL and the ones that are left to suffer are not the high-profile individuals, IT IS THE VICTIMS. Why the lack of concern in handling such sensitive information for the victims sake?”
That survivor also called out the feds for what they saw as protecting “wealthy men.”
“I feel like the DOJ’s and FBI’s priority is protecting the ‘third-party’, the wealthy men by focusing on scrubbing their names off the files of which the victims, ‘know who they are,’” they said.
The victim asked Berman to consider a third-party review of any documents that may be released “ to ensure that NO victims names or likenesses are revealed.”
When contacted about the victims’ statements, Harrison Fields, special assistant to the president and principal deputy press secretary, brought up claims from the administration that former President Barack Obama and his top officials were part of a conspiracy to keep Trump out of the White House with the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Russia has denied meddling in the election and Trump has insisted the assessments about the interference are a “hoax.”
“Following the compelling case outlined by DNI Tulsi Gabbard, which exposed clear and blatant weaponization by corrupt intelligence officials acting at the behest of the Democrat Party and likely former President Obama, the Administration remains committed to conducting a thorough investigation.
“This effort aims to provide the American people with the truth about the extent to which former government officials worked to sabotage the Trump administration and undermine the will of the American people in a clear attempt to subvert our Constitutional Republic,” Fields told The Independent.
The Independent attempted to confirm the White House’s statement was in response to the Epstein case, given that it referenced a different matter, but it has yet to hear back.
The allegations against Obama, which he has strongly denied, were made by the administration during the fallout from the Epstein files, leading to criticism that they were trying to distract from the drama.
