[0:03]All right. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us. Uh, I want to thank my colleagues with the Democratic Women's Caucus, to all of our Democrats
[0:14]on the Oversight and Judiciary Committee, and for all you are doing to build a world free, excuse me, from abuse and exploitation.
[0:26]And above all, I want to thank the extraordinary women who are here, these extraordinary and courageous survivors. Thank you for continuing to speak out,
[0:43]for refusing to be silenced or ignored. Through their courage, we are building a safer future for all of our children.
[0:53]And we will continue to stand with them. All of our elected leaders should be standing with them and fighting
[1:02]alongside them. But what have we seen instead from the president of the United States? He tells us to move on, to get
[1:12]over it, to forget about it, and look away. And tonight we are prepared to hear more lies, more deflections, more distractions,
[1:24]everything but the truth that the American people expect and that these brave survivors deserve.
[1:33]Let me be clear to Donald Trump. This is not going away. These survivors and all
[1:42]of us are not going away. This is an issue about who we are as a people, who we are as a country. Is this a place
[1:53]where billionaires can get away with abusing children? Or are we a country of laws, of accountability, of basic morality? We reject the rotten
[2:05]corruption at the heart of this broken administration. We will not stand for their lies and for their cover up.
[2:17]We will stand with these women until they get the justice that they're owed. And I am so proud to be here with all of
[2:27]you and to turn this podium over to a champion for justice, Congresswoman Permila Gyipol. Thank you. Thank you so much, Whip
[2:42]Clark, for your incredible leadership. Thank you to the DWC and Chairwoman Leisure Fernandez. And most of all, thank you to the survivors who have just
[2:52]continued to push for justice. You are inspiring all of us. And I especially want to thank and recognize my constituent um my constituent um and an Epstein
[3:08]survivor uh Mara Chartuni. Um Marah is first of all known by the survivors as the sleuth of the survivors. She she has
[3:19]looked at all the documents and has been an incredible help to me as I have been looking at them as well. and she was also one of the first to answer the
[3:28]FBI's call in 2019 to um to talk about what she suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein. And I'm just so grateful to you, Ma, for being here
[3:38]today. When Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before the House Judiciary Committee two weeks ago, the world saw her turn her back on the survivors
[3:49]rather than apologize for the pain that her Department of Justice has caused them. Today, the world will see Donald Trump have to face these survivors right
[4:00]there in the House gallery. An answer for why ambassadors and princes have been arrested in other countries. But here in America, not a single investigation has been announced into
[4:12]the pedophiles and the predators of Epstein's horrific sex trafficking ring. He must answer for why the Department of Justice has still refused to release
[4:23]three million remaining files and why they continue the massive cover up of a depraved Epstein class. He must answer to the people across the country and the
[4:34]world who see that powerful predators in government, academia, finance, and law have all been part of abusing and raping
[4:43]young girls and joking about it with zero accountability. No, Donald Trump, this is not a hoax. We are not moving on from this. You have
[4:55]not been exonerated, nor have any of these predators. We are here today, many of us in white, because women know what
[5:04]it means to be silenced, dismissed, and pushed back. And we are not going to stand for it. These survivors, as Lauren
[5:14]said to me, are shaking the earth with their strength. >> And because of them and the public that is standing up with and for them, we see the cracks emerging. We demand
[5:25]investigations right here at home into predators like Leon Black, Steve Tish, Jess Staley, and so many more. These courageous survivors are going to show
[5:37]that tonight is about their strength, about the strength of those across the country who understand that without justice, there can be no progress. So
[5:47]tonight is about our movement that will not stop until we get truth, transparency, and real accountability.
[5:55]And now, let me pass it over to Oh, to our wonderful ranking member of the judiciary committee, Jamie Raskin. >> Good afternoon, everybody. I'm here with
[6:14]my guests to the State of the Union, Sky and Amanda Roberts. Uh Sky is the brother of the late Virginia Drew Frey.
[6:22]Uh Amanda is uh his wife and they have been passionate advocates for the rights and the interests of all of the
[6:31]survivors uh and victims of uh sexual abuse and rape and trafficking all over the country. Uh, and I know that
[6:42]everyone is glued to the discoveries that are coming out as we read through the three million of the six million documents that were compelled to be
[6:51]disclosed by the Epstein uh, Transparency Act. Um, and that's all to the good because we're learning a lot there. But understand that uh, making
[7:02]progress that way is a bit like finding a needle in a hay stack. And it's not a haststack that's been arranged to make it easy for us to find the most relevant
[7:12]information. I would encourage everybody in addition to looking online and if you can going over to the Department of Justice to look at the unredacted files
[7:20]to read Virginia Grey's remarkable book, Nobody's Girl, because that book locates this entire controversy within the
[7:32]proper social context. She was a victim of child sex abuse before she got into
[7:40]the hands of Jeffrey Epstein um and his sex trafficking ring with Galain Maxwell. She was a victim of trafficking
[7:49]and rape and sexual abuse there. Um and she continued to continue to wrestle with those issues throughout her life. And if you ask the question why this
[7:59]issue is not going away, it's not going away because there are millions of people across America who have suffered the same kinds of abuse, rape,
[8:09]trafficking, and exploitation that Virginia did and the women who were members of the Epstein survivor movement did. And there have been scandals at
[8:19]Michigan State and Ohio State and within many churches within the Boy Scouts in all of our hometowns. That is the social
[8:29]basis for this movement and why Donald Trump is not going to be able to sweep it under the rug. This is why despite uh
[8:38]all of her stony cold indifference, Pam Bondi is not going to be able to make this go away. We have an entire country
[8:47]of survivors and people who are allied with the survivors and we are going to insist that the truth come out that justice be done and the perpetrators be
[8:59]held accountable in every single case. That's the importance of us getting through this documentation to the underlying facts. And I want to thank all the survivors here for waking up
[9:10]every day just like the people of Minneapolis and going right back to the front lines of this fight. And tonight that includes the State of the Union address where the president is going to
[9:20]have to see that this is a nation of survivors and their allies. Thank you very much, Perilla. >> And now Sky and Amanda Roberts.
[9:38]Good afternoon everyone. My name is Amanda Roberts and I am the sister-in-law of Virginia Roberts Chafrey.
[9:48]I stand here for my sister for my survivor sisters and for every survivor around the world
[9:58]who has been forced into silence. Today is monumental. Today we say to this administration and
[10:07]to the nation that survivors deserve to be seen. We will not be moved. We will not be silenced and we will not go away.
[10:17]We are continuing to trail. We are continuing the path that Virginia laid down for us. Today, the president will speak about
[10:27]his agenda. He may say it's time to move on from this Epstein thing. Mr. President,
[10:37]today we are saying we will not move on and the world is not moving on. The world clearly sees the pattern in
[10:52]how this administration has treated survivors with disgrace, contempt, and dismissal. But I want to speak directly to the
[11:02]American people. This moment is about all of us. The state of this union, the state of survivors, and the state of our country.
[11:12]And many of us feel dismayed, disrupted in spirit by the intentional chaos that has been created to distract us and desensitize
[11:24]us to the harsh realities of Jeffrey Epstein, Galain Maxwell, and the horrific crimes committed by their rich and powerful friends. Today, as Americans, we find ourselves
[11:36]at a crossroads. We have a choice to make. As American people, what do we want for our future? And what do we want for our children?
[11:46]We can choose to let the Epstein case remain a stain on American history. Another chapter where the rich and powerful escape accountability and
[11:56]survivors are told to be quiet. Or we, the people, can decide it is time for change.
[12:07]So don't look away from us. Don't look away from Virginia and do not leave survivors behind once
[12:18]again. Stand with us. Hold space with our stories.
[12:25]Sit with our truths. Let them break you. Move you and reshape you to act.
[12:36]Together we can build a nation that is fair and true. A nation where money and power cannot bend the law.
[12:46]Where life where title does not grant innocence. Where every voice matters and every survivor matters. I'll end with
[12:54]Virginia's words. I look forward to the days when money and power don't stop the truth from coming out and the righteous prevail.
[13:05]Well, today is the beginning of that day. Hey everyone. Uh, my name is Sky Roberts
[13:21]and I am the brother of Virginia Roberts Juay. There are moments in a nation's life where we are tested. Not by our words, but by what we are willing to confront.
[13:32]Today, we stand at one of these moments. America is at a crossroads. We can choose to let the Epstein case remain a stain on our history, another chapter where the powerful are protected, the
[13:44]truth is buried, and survivors are asked to carry the consequences in silence. Or we can choose something different. We can choose truth. We can choose
[13:54]accountability. And we can choose to build a country where no one, no matter how wealthy, connected, or politically insulated, stands above the law. Today, we are here proudly representing our
[14:06]sister, Virginia Roberts Juay. Standing with members of Congress and with survivors across the nation and across the world. Because Virginia's
[14:16]story is the story so many survivors know too well. A mountain of obstacles that seem impossible to climb. Pain so deep
[14:26]it doesn't fit into words. And a system that too often makes the survivor carry the burden instead of the perpetrator.
[14:36]But I am here to say proudly and with absolute conviction that what Virginia did for this world will not be in vain. She may have left this earth,
[14:56]but her soul is still here. It lives in every survivor who decides to speak. It lives in every victim who is still
[15:05]finding their voice. And it lives in every person who refuses to accept a country where exploitation is met with impunity. Virginia did not just survive. She
[15:16]fought. She pushed back against a culture of silence. She forced the world to look at what it wanted to ignore. And she proved what happens when an ordinary person
[15:26]decides they will not be erased. So today, I invite the world into this community, not as spectators, but as
[15:37]participants. Because on days like this, we may hear powerful voices try to distract us, to divide us, to turn
[15:48]accountability into politics, and truth into a talking point. But I want to speak directly to the families and communities watching, the brothers, the
[15:57]mothers, the sisters, and the fathers. Every person who loves someone who has been harmed. Choose unity.
[16:06]Choose love. and choose the courage it takes to stand with survivors not only when it is easy but when it is expensive when it is uncomfortable and when it challenges
[16:18]powerful people. Virginia had a deep passion for bringing people together. She had a deep love for her survivor sisters and she had a deep love for the millions of victims and survivors around the
[16:30]world who may have never known who may never be known by name and whose lives matter just the same. To say she trailblazed through obstacles is an understatement. Virginia helped build a
[16:41]road for survivors to walk toward truth, toward dignity, toward justice. And we are here today to carry her torch down that road.
[16:50]We are asking Congress, the public, and every institution with the power to act, to carry that torch with us. And that brings me to why we are here, not only to speak, but to demand action. If we
[17:02]truly believe survivors deserve more than sympathy. If we truly believe justice should not depend on status, then we must put it into law. That is why we are calling on Congress to
[17:13]advance Virginia's law. Virginia's law is about saying clearly that the rules that protected abusers and traffickers for decades will no longer stand. Is about closing the gaps
[17:24]that powerful people exploit. It is about strengthening accountability. Surviv survivors are not forced to fight alone for years against the machine built to wear them down. It is not
[17:34]vengeance. It is not protection. It is prevention. And it is justice. And to anyone who thinks this moment can be reduced to a headline or a media
[17:44]cycle or even a Super Bowl moment for political theater, let me be clear. The only thing more powerful than hate is love.
[17:54]And this is not going away. We will not stop until the truth is faced and justice is pursued for Virginia, for her survivor sisters, and for every victim and survivor around the world who
[18:05]deserves to know that their lives are worth more than someone else's reputation. Thank you, >> Sky and Amanda. Thank you so much. Thank
[18:21]you for bringing Virginia right here with us. and we will see her and carry on her legacy. I now have the great privilege of introducing my friend from
[18:33]across the Capitol complex, leader Chuck Schumer. >> Hi, Danny.
[18:42]>> How are you? Good to see you. >> Well, good good afternoon and thank you for accommodating me, everybody. Um, look, why we're here, the truth must
[18:54]come out. Trump says he's going to give a long speech tonight, but there's one thing he refuses to talk about. The Epstein files. Trump campaigned on
[19:04]releasing the files, but now, one year into his presidency, he calls them a hoax. Shame on him. He says the American people need to move on. We're not moving
[19:15]on, are we? >> That is outrageous to say move on. That's an insult to the victims and the survivors standing behind me. For years,
[19:25]survivors of Epstein's abuse were ignored. They were doubted. They were dismissed. But their presence here at the State of the Union sends a clear,
[19:34]powerful message. Survivors will not be silenced. My partner in our legislation,
[19:43]uh, the powerful will be held accountable. We will not rest until that happens. And no one, not even the president, is above the law. Trump
[19:53]cannot continue to bury the truth. The full Epstein files must be released now. Nearly every single member of both
[20:03]chambers, Democrat, Republican, independent, work for the Epstein Files Transparency Act. But for three months, Trump's Justice Department has broken
[20:13]the law, blacking out page after page. This is their version of releasing the files. >> That's it. That's all they do.
[20:27]See, >> shame. >> Shame is right. Um, it's a This is not transparency. It's a cover up. Survivors
[20:38]deserve justice. That's why I'm proud to have introduced Virginia's law with Democratic Woman Caucus Chair Leger
[20:47]Fernandez. Thank you. Thank you so much. To eliminate the federal statute of limitations, barriers that have kept too
[20:56]many survivors from pursuing justice. There can be no half measure of justice. The American people and the brave survivors stand me stand behind me
[21:07]deserve the full truth. And a statute of limitations on something like this when women go through things that are so painful and have to wrestle and grapple
[21:17]with it for the rest of their lives. It should be up to the victim when there's a prosecution, not up to some law that has no knowledge really in
[21:29]a certain sense of what these people have gone through. When President Trump looks into the crowd tonight to give his speech, he will also look into the faces of the
[21:40]survivors behind me. Trump knows he can't keep hiding. Trump knows it's time to end the secrecy and release the full Epstein files. Now,
[21:51]he says he doesn't know it, but he will know it. We're going to make him know it. That's why you're here tonight. The survivors have waited long enough. The
[22:02]time for justice is now. And I truly want to thank the many Epstein survivors standing with us here today. You've undergone unimaginable pain.
[22:12]Unimaginable pain. And I know you live with it constantly. You can't make it go away. It happened. You live with it.
[22:21]But these beautiful people, instead of cursing the darkness that is part of their lives because of what happened to them, are lighting a
[22:31]candle. Lighting a candle to make sure this doesn't ever happen again. Thank you for that courage. Thank you for that inspiration. And now I want to turn it
[22:43]over to Danny Bensky. She's a New Yorker and a survivor who I'm who I'm so honored is my guest at the State of the Union tonight. Danny, thank you. Senator Schumer,
[23:02]I just have to like lower this. So, I'm an Epstein survivor from 2004 2005. I was 17 years old when I met
[23:12]Jeffrey Epstein. Back then, I was a teenager, but I was really a child. Um, I was looking for an adult to help protect me from what felt like monsters,
[23:21]only to find that the monster was him all along. Now, I look to the government for help, and they're no better. Gaslighting and
[23:30]manipulating victims, the same tactics as Jeffrey and Gilen. The DOJ assures us that they're focused on our safety, but only to exploit us
[23:41]further. There are two cases happening here. Two cases of abuse. The first case is one that we endured while we were ins snared in the largest sex trafficking
[23:53]ring that this country has known to date. And the second is the abuse of our government. They're covering everything up and protecting power, not the young
[24:03]and the vulnerable. As we prepare to attend the State of the Union, survivors and this country have so many questions that need to be answered.
[24:13]The first one is where are the rest of the files? The truth must come out. Why are there no investigations when
[24:26]there are plenty of people in these files to investigate? Have we read them? Why is the FBI director out there partying like a college kid when he should be investigating the vast
[24:37]criminal enterprise? This administration needs to do better. How can anybody feel safe in this country when our president's sympathies
[24:49]are going to the former Prince Andrew and not to survivors? There are a few things that really need to be done immediately. First is the release of all of the files, which we
[25:00]know. Next is to hold accountable those who continuously exploit. And the third is to pass Virginia's bill. We need to pass Virginia's bill because justice
[25:11]should never ever expire. Release the damn files. >> Thank you everybody.
[25:26]We'll now hear from ranking member Robert Garcia. >> Hey everyone. Um I'm going to just make
[25:40]a a few comments and I'm just want to start by saying um that it is always an honor and to just be here with the courage of Annie. Um, for those that
[25:51]don't know Annie Farmer and her story and the story of her family, um, we are always in awe of you and of everything that you and your family have gone through. We just want to know that we
[26:01]love you and we support you always. I also absolutely I also just want to thank um the whip for her leadership. Also to all of the
[26:11]women in our caucus that are providing so much support to the survivors that are part of our investigation that are
[26:21]leading on this issue. I know that both of our committees are so grateful, not judiciary oversight, Democrats, our Democratic women are leading the way on
[26:33]this issue and I just we are forever grateful to every single one of you for your leadership, your voice, and your courage in uplifting these incredible
[26:40]women. So, thank you so much for that. And I just want to I just want to remind the president and the attorney general
[26:50]that they are right now in violation of the law. And when the president makes a speech tonight, he is going to know that looking back at him will be numerous
[27:02]survivors of Epstein's abuse and that he is facilitating the single largest cover up in modern American history.
[27:13]is the single largest cover up in modern American history. And who are we protecting? Why are we protecting
[27:22]powerful, wealthy, connected men? >> Why are we protecting billionaires >> from justice?
[27:31]>> Because we are always going to center the survivors. The single most important part of our investigation and what we're guided by
[27:42]is justice for Annie. It's justice for Maria. It's justice for so many that have been wronged, harmed, and
[27:52]terrorized. By not just Jeffrey Epste and Galain Maxwell, but by the co-conspirators and all that help them commit their abuse.
[28:04]Let's be clear, over 50% of the files have still not been released to the public. And we know as as early as just today and yesterday,
[28:15]there are numerous files that we have confirmed that are missing from the DOJ that we know exist, including accusations and serious accusations, not just
[28:26]against the president, but against others. It's time to release the files. It's time to center their survivors. And the president should know that even though he wants to call this a hoax,
[28:36]that our investigation is just getting started. >> Thank you so much, Congressman Garcia.
[28:46]Um, your leadership has meant so much uh to to myself and to so many of us. The government's original sin in this case was not following up in any way on
[28:58]my sister Maria Farmer's 1996 report to the FBI about Epstein and Maxwell and the powerful circle that surrounded them. Since that time, the girls and
[29:09]women who were abused by these criminals have been repeatedly neglected and revictimized by our own government. The recent release of materials highlights
[29:19]this as the names of many powerful individuals remain redacted while the names, personal data, and even images, nude images of many victims were
[29:30]released. Rather than apologize for this failure, this DOJ has doubled down on denial and distraction.
[29:39]We are tired of the games. When those we elect to office misuse their positions, it harms us all. We are here to remind our elected leaders and other Americans
[29:50]that there is always a choice. You can sit by and watch the abuse of power as so many wealthy, educated, connected
[29:59]individuals did in the Epstein case, or you can do the right thing, the courageous thing. You can speak out the way my sister, Maria Farmer, did because
[30:10]of her concern for her younger sisters. You can speak out the way Virginia Roberts Dufrey did after she looked down and saw her daughter and knew she
[30:21]deserved safety and protection. I know that courage is contagious because these women inspired me to find my voice. And the more I have used it,
[30:31]the more I have heard from others who were speaking out about their own experiences of abuse and standing with us in demanding true transparency, the whole truth that survivors and the
[30:43]American people deserve. Thank you. >> Now we'll hear from Rep. Maxine Dexter.
[30:58]>> Good afternoon. I'm honored to be here. I am Maxine Dexter, a mother, a physician, and the proud US representative for Organs Third. And I'm deeply honored to have Lisa Phillips
[31:10]here as my guest tonight for the State of the Union, a survivor of Epstein's abuse, a powerful voice for justice, and she will attend the State of the Union tonight on my behalf. Tonight, as
[31:22]Epstein survivors like Lisa stare down our government, a government that has failed them for decades, you will all bear witness to an important shift in
[31:31]power in this nation. The wealthy and influential have persistently been shielded from accountability for their actions. This has certainly been true for the Epstein class of abusers. This
[31:43]exclusive, twisted club has gone to great lengths to protect their own, to bury the truth, and to perpetuate harm to young girls and women across the
[31:53]world. Not anymore. Tonight, as Trump tries to spend his first year in office as anything other than a crusade to protect himself and the Epstein Club of Abusers, Lisa's
[32:03]presence, the survivors presence, makes clear that the powerful will not be protected. It is due to the persistent courage and resilience of survivors that
[32:15]abusers will be held accountable and brought to justice. Accountability means the Department of Justice fully investigates and prosecutes the crimes disclosed in the Epstein files. When we
[32:26]get to see them, I was there just a few hours ago. There's hundreds of papers that are completely blacked out still. The brave women who have persistently advocated for transparency and
[32:37]accountability deserve our deepest respect and gratitude. Thank you, Lisa. Thank you all for being here, for your boys, for your courage.
[32:48]You've helped us protect our girls, my girl, from evil and have sheltered and will help us unshelter the powerful who have been hiding too long. I proudly
[32:59]stand with you demanding the time of protecting abusers to come to an end. Thank you. And I'm going to yield to Lisa Phillips now. Good afternoon. I'm Lisa Phillips and
[33:24]I'm a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein and his world. I want to thank Congresswoman Dexter of Oregon for inviting me to be here today. It's such an honor. I always get emotional because every
[33:35]time I look at my survivor sisters behind me, I am reminded that they represent at least 200 victims. I don't want you guys to forget that. So when I
[33:45]stand here, I do not stand alone. I represent hundreds of faceless, nameless survivors. Some I have had the honor of knowing and supporting over the last few years. young women and girls who were
[33:57]never given a voice. My survivor sisters and I have come to Capitol Hill many times this past year, as you know, and we will keep coming back again and again until all the Epstein files have been
[34:08]released because accountability is impossible without full transparency. Those those of us who live through the horrors of the Epstein world have always
[34:19]known this was never just a story about one powerful man. It was never just a crisis of wealth and privilege in America. It is and always has been a
[34:28]global crisis of corruption. We are only beginning to understand the depth and breadth of it. And the question remains, how many more powerful figures on the international stage will
[34:40]be named when the remaining files are released. The world deserves to know. That is why it has been an honor to recently speak with elected officials in
[34:49]several European nations, urging each country to land uh sorry, urging each country to launch independent investigations into every single person
[34:59]of power named in these files. Every person named some may have committed no crimes, some may have. But every person
[35:10]connected to wrongdoing in Epstein's world in any nation must be investigated and if appropriate held accountable.
[35:19]Every single one. We're not going away. We're not fading into silence. Thank you. >> Hi, my name is Laura Bloom McGee. My
[35:38]remarks are very short because my survivor sisters have said a lot. I want to thank Congresswoman, I believe she just stepped out, Julia Brownley of California that invited graciously invited me here from Arkansas. I have
[35:49]not heard from any of our leaders from Arkansas. Um, so thank you, Congresswoman Brownley. Speaking out about sex trafficking saved lives.
[35:59]Being here with my sisters has helped save mine. This has never been about politics. It's about little girls and young women who
[36:11]who have and continue to be exploited by the powerful. Justice should be nonnegotiable. Transparency should be non-negotiable.
[36:22]Integrity integrity should be non-negotiable. No one should escape accountability. We will continue fighting for independent investigations and
[36:32]prosecutions as the evidence warrants. We will not be silenced. Thank you, >> Melanie. And Representative Andrea
[36:43]Romero, Melanie. Representative Melanie Stanbury. Am I admire? >> Yes. Yes. All right. All right. Well, good afternoon
[36:55]everyone. I'm Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury from New Mexico's first congressional district and I am so deeply honored to introduce to you the original co-sponsor of the Epstein Files
[37:06]Truth Commission in the state of New Mexico, Andrea Romero, the state house representative. I want to share a few thoughts today as
[37:18]we prepare to enter the chamber tonight to face Donald Trump and to demand justice for not only the survivors standing behind us, but all survivors
[37:29]who have been failed by the US Department of Justice in prosecuting crimes against children and women and boys and people who have been exploited
[37:39]for decades. We are gathered here today to fight for one thing, justice and accountability. And we will not be
[37:49]silenced. We will not move on. And that is why I am grateful to be joined by my guest who will talk about the work that
[37:58]we are doing in New Mexico. But tonight matters more than ever because survivors deserve to be seen. They deserve to be
[38:07]heard. and their presence matters more than ever as the world's eyes are upon us. Because let me remind you that every survivor who is here who raised their
[38:17]hand a couple of weeks ago during Pam Bondi's hearing knows that they have been failed by this administration and many administrations in getting the
[38:27]justice that they so rightly deserve. We refuse to let the powerful hide behind money, power, and influence. and we refuse to remain silent about Donald
[38:39]Trump's hiding about the truth of his own individual investigation. These are the files that the FBI has removed from their public uh Department
[38:51]of Justice database. The yellow files here are the files that President Trump is hiding. The yellow files here are investigations with a woman who was
[39:02]abused as a minor and who alleged that Donald Trump was her abuser. These are the files that they are hiding among many millions of more. But I want to
[39:13]just close things out by sharing with you the words of perhaps one of the most important people who cannot be here today and that is Virginia Gre. So let
[39:23]me read you just the closing passage from her book. If you've read this far, I hope my story has moved you to seek ways to free yourself from a bad
[39:35]situation. Say to stand up for someone else in need or to simply reframe how you judge victims of sexual abuse. Each one of us can make a positive change. I
[39:46]truly believe that. I hope for a world in which predators are punished, not protected, victims are treated with compassion, not shamed, and powerful
[39:56]people face the same consequences as anyone else. I yearn too for a world in which perpetrators face more shame than their victims do, and where anyone who's
[40:07]been trafficked can confront their abusers when they're ready, no matter how much time has passed. She then goes on to say, "We don't live in this world
[40:18]yet, but tonight we're here with to stand with the survivors to say that we do." And with that, I would like to introduce our amazing State House
[40:28]Representative Andrea Romero. Good afternoon, everyone. Again, I'm House State Representative Andrea Romero
[40:38]from the uh District of Santa Fe. Um, and I am the chair of the Epstein Truth Commission. I am honored to stand alongside these courageous survivors
[40:49]today. And I want them to know New Mexico sees you. New Mexico believes you and New Mexico is taking action. Last week, our New Mexico House voted
[41:00]unanimously to create a truth commission. a bipartisan group of state legislators committed to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's crimes in New Mexico, find out what happened at Zoro Ranch,
[41:12]and hold perpetrators and enablers accountable. If merited, we'll turn these files into trials. >> Our commission will pull together the
[41:27]full story of what happened in our state. We will determine whether local and state officers appropriately responded when survivors came forward.
[41:37]We will use our subpoena power to compel witnesses to share what they know. And we will create a safe survivor centered
[41:46]space for victims to be finally heard. We are already working. We held our first meeting the morning after the commission was approved because we will
[41:56]no longer wait for the answers. we should have had years ago. This is about the truth. This is about accountability.
[42:07]This is about making sure that no child, no vulnerable person ever has to go through what the survivors standing here today have endured. New Mexico is
[42:18]stepping up for the survivors, for our communities, and for every future generation that deserves to grow up safe. I want to thank you all and thank
[42:28]you for this opportunity. So, um the last survivor that we will hear from tonight and I I want to re-emphasize the point that was made
[42:39]earlier that each one of these survivors who has come to speak today, each one of the family members who has come to share their tears with us today represents hundreds.
[42:51]Represents hundreds. Think about that. Think about the number of girls and women who were abused over the decades.
[43:01]And one of those women is Liz Stein. And I want to thank Mary Gay Scandlin because she is the guest of both me and Mary Gay Scandlin. And she has taken the
[43:10]pain that she endured and turned it into advocacy as she continues to work with survivors and against trafficking. My name is Liz Stein. I met Jeffrey
[43:34]Epstein and Galene Maxwell when I was a senior in college, just 21 years old in 1994. My involvement with them lasted
[43:43]approximately three years before the State of the Union. It is worth asking ourselves what our state of moral courage is.
[43:55]Human trafficking persists largely due to our cultural discomfort with directly naming sexual violence. Talking about sexual assault not only
[44:06]makes us uncomfortable, it exposes failure. It reveals where power has been protected at the expense of the
[44:15]vulnerable. It forces us to confront who is protected in this country and who is not. The crimes of Jeffrey Epstein were not
[44:25]committed in isolation. They were enabled by social, financial, political systems that look the other way.
[44:35]Survivors have been telling the truth for decades since Maria Farmer first came forward in 1996. The late Virginia Dufra endured public
[44:47]scrutiny and character assassination, but the release of the files confirmed that what she was saying all along was the truth.
[44:56]For more than 30 years, survivors have pushed, thought, testified, and organized to bring attention to the crimes of Epstein and his associates.
[45:08]Trauma does not operate on a legislative timeline. Justice delayed by law is justice denied by design.
[45:18]Around the world, investigations have reached the powerful. But our Department of Justice and this administration have handled the release of information in a
[45:28]way that leaves survivors and the public asking why the United States appears reluctant to lead on accountability in a
[45:38]case that happened largely on our soil. The world is watching. Survivors are watching. And it is embarrassing that we are not
[45:50]setting the standard. Courage is contagious, but so is impunity. We the people was never meant to mean we
[46:01]the powerful. Accountability is not vengeance. It is fidelity to the rule of law which is the baseline requirement of a functioning
[46:12]democracy. History will not remember how carefully we avoided discomfort. It will remember whether we demanded the
[46:23]truth. Thank you. So as we heard today from my colleagues
[46:33]and from the survivors, you know, it strikes me that there were two incredible themes. One is that the courage and the persistence of the
[46:43]survivors to expose the horror of the sexual crimes and abuses that happened during the Epstein ring
[46:54]was not only was not only to decry the idea that women can be used, abused, and
[47:02]then discarded. It wasn't only to talk about that pain that I think Americans feel when we see this and why this has
[47:11]rung such a tune because we don't want that to happen to ourselves even though one in four women suffers sexual assault. We don't want it to happen to
[47:22]our children, to our sister, to our wives. But we also are seeing in this moment that these women are some of the
[47:32]most powerful and consequential women of generations >> of generations because they have brought us to a moment
[47:42]where they are saying it is not okay for us to live in a society where the rich and the powerful and the well-connected
[47:52]get away with anything and everything. And that is what has happened until today and until you all started
[48:02]and didn't stop because it was your persistence. It was your courage that is contagious that has brought us here. And
[48:13]it has brought us to a point where where three million files have been released, three million have not. Three million have not. And it has brought us to a
[48:24]point where we know that even as those files are released that the Epstein survivors, the up to a thousand
[48:34]girls and young women don't have recourse because when the Department of Justice refuses to criminally
[48:42]investigate, they cannot sue civily. So that is why Virginia's law is so important. And it is important that
[48:51]we pass Virginia's law because the abusers should not have time as one of their weapons. And right now they do because right now the statute of
[49:02]limitations is 10 years. And what can you do in 10 years? You are simply recovering from the trauma that you have gone through. And so that is why we are
[49:13]hoping that everybody everybody and that it is a bipartisan effort to pass Virginia's law. Not only to honor your
[49:22]sister and your sister, but to honor all the women and men and boys and girls
[49:30]that get abused. Because what the Epstein survivors have taught us and what this moment is about is that we matter.
[49:42]>> That we matter. That people who are not powerful matter. That as Liz said, we the people is not we the powerful. That
[49:52]we the people in this moment is what this constitution WAS MADE FOR. THIS CONSTITUTION THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING was made for this moment where we will say
[50:03]no. It is not okay to always favor the rich and powerful and well-connected. But it is important that we stand up for
[50:13]those who are scared and vulnerable and weakened and prayed upon. Whether that is because you're hungry or you need health care or you need protection or
[50:25]you need somebody to be investigated criminally, which I think we need to have a whole lot more of that happening. And with that, I just want to thank the
[50:34]Epstein survivor and our votes are with you and we will always be with you. As chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I thank you
[50:45]for coming today. And we have a little bit of time. I don't know how much time we have. uh before we don't have any time uh but uh because uh uh we have to
[50:55]uh go vote. Uh so uh is that right? Uh we're all going to go just go vote. Votes have been called. So thank you so very much.