Survivors who were exploited by Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring on Wednesday called for full transparency after Congress released thousands of pages of documents to the public.
Epstein was a convicted sex offender accused of victimizing hundreds of young women. At a news conference, Lisa Phillips said survivors are compiling their own list of people who abused Epstein's victims.
"We know the names. Many of us were abused by them," she said. "We will confidentially compile the names we all know are regularly in the Epstein world."
Phillips said many people knew of Epstein's abuse.
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"Why was he allowed to sponsor visas for young models using their immigration status as leverage to abuse them and silence them?" Phillips said. "Epstein was not just a serial predator; he was an international human trafficker. And many around him knew this, many participated, and many profited — and yet he was protected."
Phillips was among those calling for transparency.
"Transparency is justice. Release the files and the secrecy and stand with us in declaring that no one — no billionaires, no politicians, no world leaders — is above the law."
Others echoed her call for accountability.
"This is not a partisan issue," said fellow survivor Liz Stein. "This is a crime, the crime of sex trafficking, and the criminals must be held accountable. Disbelieving survivors creates a culture of silence. There is strength in numbers, and our courage is contagious."
President Donald Trump brushed aside greater calls for transparency.
"This is a Democrat hoax. They’re trying to get people to talk about something that is totally irrelevant," he said.
But as those comments were being made, Epstein sex trafficking ring survivor Haley Robson said, " Mr. President, Donald J. Trump ... I cordially invite you to the Capitol to meet me in person so you can understand this is not a hoax."
The House Oversight Committee suggested that more documents could be released, but those would have to come from the Justice Department. Most of the documents released Tuesday contained information that had already been made public through court filings and other records.
Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, is pushing forward a resolution that would force the Department of Justice to release additional documents tied to the case.
