Try as they might, Republicans can't silence Epstein's victims [View all]

Try as they might, Republicans can’t silence Epstein’s victims
“The only motive for opposing this bill would be to conceal wrongdoing,” said one victim

By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published September 5, 2025 6:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) Donald Trump hoped that the storytelling of known liar and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell would be the final word on the still-unknown details of the crimes of his old, deceased friend Jeffrey Epstein. Federal prosecutors said Maxwell “lied repeatedly about her crimes” and showed “an utter lack of remorse.” But in her recent interviews with officials from Trump’s Justice Department, she called the president, who owned a club from which she recruited at least one alleged victim, a “perfect gentleman.”

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You’d think Republicans wouldn’t forget that sex crimes leave victims. After all, it was only two years ago that E. Jean Carroll persuaded a civil jury that Trump had sexually assaulted her in the 90s. And yet, many Republicans seem rattled that Epstein’s victims finally spoke out in a showy press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, decrying Trump for blocking the release of the full files collected by the FBI and Justice Department on Epstein. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., called an early congressional recess this summer, in obvious hope that people would give up asking questions about Trump’s reported appearances in the Epstein files. But now, with Congress back in session, Johnson is back in cover-up mode. To make it harder for him, the survivors got organized and are shoving this controversy right back in the public eye.

Trump hopes he can make these women go away with lies and distractions. But on Wednesday, they made it clear they will not. The large group of women and their supporters spoke in support of a bill, reportedly backed by all 212 House Democrats and four Republicans, that would force Trump’s White House to release all the Justice Department documents on Epstein and Maxwell’s cases. “The only motive for opposing this bill would be to conceal wrongdoing,” Epstein accuser Anouska de Georgiou told the crowd gathered for their press conference.

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Their mere presence served as powerful reminder that these women — ordinary people who didn’t want any of this — are taking on the president of the United States. As Carroll testified in her defamation trial against Trump, his similar claims that she was lying about him led to serious trauma; as she endured a steady stream of death and rape threats from his supporters. It’s easy to forget how terrified these women must be, and how they are only doing this because they believe it truly matters. .....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/09/05/try-as-they-might-republicans-cant-silence-epsteins-victims/