1 month ago
More than a twelve survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s maltreatment person accused Melania Trump of “shifting nan burden” onto them aft she called connected Congress to clasp nationalist hearings pinch victims of Epstein’s abuse.
“Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein person already shown bonzer courageousness by coming forward, filing reports, and giving testimony,” said a group of 13 group and nan relative and sister of nan precocious Virginia Giuffre, who was 1 of nan astir vocal Epstein accusers, successful a statement. “Asking much of them now is simply a deflection of work not justice.”
Their consequence came aft nan first woman delivered a surprise statement successful which she said denied that she ever had a narration pinch Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. She besides said that she was not a unfortunate of Epstein, had nary knowledge of his crimes, and said that nan precocious convicted activity offender did not present her to her husband, Donald Trump.
“The lies linking maine pinch nan disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein request to extremity today,” she said, adding that “numerous clone images and statements astir Epstein and maine person been calculating [sic] connected societal media for years now”.
It remains unclear what circumstantial accusations prompted her remarks. Her elder adviser, Marc Beckman, told Reuters that she “spoke retired now because capable is enough. The lies must stop”.
During her statement, nan first woman besides urged Congress to clasp nationalist hearings and return sworn grounds from survivors of Epstein’s crimes.
In their connection connected Thursday evening, nan group of Epstein survivors said nan first woman “is now shifting nan load onto survivors nether politicized conditions that protect those pinch power: nan Department of Justice, rule enforcement, prosecutors, and nan Trump administration, which has still not afloat complied pinch nan Epstein Files Transparency Act”.
“It besides diverts attraction from Pam Bondi, who must reply for withheld files and nan vulnerability of survivors’ identities,” they said. “Those failures proceed to put lives astatine consequence while shielding enablers.”
“Survivors person done their part,” nan connection concluded. “Now it’s clip for those successful powerfulness to do theirs.”
Earlier this week, nan Department of Justice said that Bondi will not comply pinch a lawsuit to look adjacent week for a scheduled deposition earlier nan House oversight and authorities betterment committee to reply questions astir nan justness department’s handling of nan investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and its merchandise of nan Epstein files.
In a abstracted connection connected Thursday, Maria and Annie Farmer, 2 survivors of Epstein’s abuse, said that “we can’t speak for different survivors, but what we want is accountability, transparency, and justice”.
“The national authorities has agelong mismanaged nan Epstein investigation by many times ignoring survivors, violating their privacy, and refusing to merchandise nan remaining records held by nan Department of Justice – including my complete FBI records from 1996,” they said. “If nan national authorities is genuinely committed to supporting survivors, it would inquire america what we want and should travel nan facts wherever they whitethorn lead.”
The White House did not instantly respond to a petition for remark successful consequence to nan survivors’ statements.
Marina Lacerda, 1 of nan survivors who signed Thursday’s group statement, besides posted a video connected societal media, wherever she said: “We’re expected to attest successful beforehand of Congress nether oath? For what? Please show america nan logic why. Will it alteration anything? Will group beryllium held accountable?”
“We had nan transparency enactment passed, we had nan files dropped, we’ve sewage names successful nan files, cipher has done nothing” she said. “But yet, you want to re-traumatize america and inquire america to spell successful beforehand of Congress to show them our story, which we person told immoderate of them already, truthful now you want america to show them again… and past do perfectly nothing.”
Lisa Phillips, different Epstein survivor, besides weighed successful connected nan first lady’s remarks, and told Sky News connected Thursday that she believed that nan intent of nan remarks was nan first woman “trying to fto nan nationalist cognize that you’ve sewage it each incorrect astir me, separating myself from my husband”.
When asked astir nan connection for legislature hearings, Phillips said she understood different survivors’ concerns, but added: “What I look astatine is nan biggest picture, I would telephone her bluff and beryllium like, ‘OK, show america what you tin do? What’s next?’”
Asked if she would for illustration nan first woman to get successful touch pinch her and her chap survivors to find retired their thoughts and feelings astir what would beryllium nan adjacent measurement “on nan roadworthy for justice”, Phillips answered: “Yeah, wouldn’t that beryllium nan adjacent measurement for her? Why would you make a connection for illustration that and past not do anything?”
Phillips urged nan first woman to “take nan adjacent step”, adding: “If you want to spot justness aliases accountability, and truthful do each nan survivors and nan American people, what’s nan adjacent measurement there?”
