A powerful PSA has been released featuring women who were abused by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell urging Congress to make the records public once and for all.
A vote is expected in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as to whether or not to release the full Epstein files.
The survivors in the PSA make a powerful impact holding photographs showing them at the approximate age when the abuse was happening – putting faces to the crimes committed by Epstein, Maxwell, and many other others in their social circle. The women believe there are likely thousands of victims and want those involved in the sex trafficking ring to be held accountable.
The full list of women featured in the PSA include:
- Lisa Phillips
- Marijke Chartouni
- Sharlene Rochard
- Annie Farmer
- Haley Robson
- Ashley Rubright
- Jena Lisa Jones
- Wendy Pesante
- Jess Michaels
- Dani Bensky
- Liz Stein
The PSA was produced by World Without Exploitation, a coalition working to end sexual exploitation, each survivor holds a photograph of herself as a young woman around the age when she was abused. The ages of the victims range from 10 to 17.
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Danielle Bensky was an aspiring ballerina when she met Epstein. At 17 years old, she was working odd jobs to support her mother, who was battling a brain tumor.
“A woman told me about a wealthy philanthropist who might help. What began as a chance to pay for dance lessons turned into months of abuse,” said Bensky. “Epstein used my mother’s illness to control me. He promised help and threatened to take it away if I spoke.
“It took me years to tell the truth, and I tell it now because too many people still believe this story should stay hidden.”
Bensky believes the public deserves the truth – no matter who may be implicated.
“Releasing the remaining files does not harm survivors. Silence harms survivors. The documents that are still sealed contain information about the people who enabled him and the systems that protected him. We deserve the full truth, and the public deserves it too.”
The national director of World Without Exploitation said this isn’t a Republican or a Democrat issue, the survivors want all members of Congress to support efforts to find the truth.
“The survivors believe this vote offers an opportunity to stand firmly on the side of protecting minors from abuse,” said Lauren Hersh. “They want the public to see how gaps in the system allowed a predator to operate for years and to understand what must change to prevent that from happening again.
“Republicans and Democrats who support the release of these files can help ensure that future investigations into child exploitation are stronger, more transparent and more responsive to victims who often go unheard. The survivors are asking members of Congress to work across party lines to shine a light on the full truth.”
Victim Annie Farmer said that the secrecy around Epstein causes her significant pain.
“When I was 16, I trusted adults who told me they wanted to help me succeed. That trust was taken advantage of in a way that shaped the rest of my life,” said Annie Farmer. “The people who shielded Epstein have had decades of protection. Survivors have had decades of unanswered questions. Sharing the remaining documents helps correct that imbalance.
“The information that remains sealed is important for understanding institutional failures. This is not a political debate. It is a question of protecting young people and promoting honesty in government.”
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for child sex trafficking and related offenses. President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice recently moved Maxwell to a minimum-security facility after she allegedly told the DOJ that Trump never did anything of concern in her presence.
Thousands of emails were released last week by the House Oversight Committee. In them, one said Trump spent hours with one of the victims; another said Trump knew about the girls. Trump was allegedly mentioned more than 1,000 times in the emails.
Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva was sworn in on Nov. 12. Grijalva, and four House Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie, Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace, have signed a discharge petition to bring the vote to the floor this week.
“When everyone is forced to go on record to vote to release the Epstein files, I expect the number of Republicans to be a lot higher that actually vote yes,” Greene told USA Today.
If the effort passes in the House, it will then go to the Senate for consideration and ultimately it will land on the president’s desk as the final decision-maker. In other words, even if the House votes to approve the release of the files, there’s a long road ahead before that will actually happen. However, by taking a vote, it puts legislators on the record as to who supports protecting child rapists and predators over justice for the victims.
Trump campaigned in part on releasing the files, but since he was allegedly implicated in them, the administration has tried to dismiss the importance of them calling them a “Democratic hoax,” and doing whatever it can to distract the public from the issue.
Last week, despite his accusations that the files are a hoax, Trump took another step to keep them from being released, asking Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman and others. In yet another stall tactic, the move could mean the DOJ will refuse the release claiming a criminal investigation is under way.
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Crystal Graham
