Democratic members of the US House oversight committee held a field hearing in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, where survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse gave emotional testimony. The hearing, described as taking place at 'the scene of the crime', aimed to scrutinise the government's handling of the Epstein scandal and to warn President Donald Trump against pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell.
Survivors recounted their experiences of being groomed and trafficked as teenagers. Dani Bensky testified that she was recruited by two individuals, one a late teen and another only 15 years old. Several victims were allegedly recruited from Trump's Mar-a-Lago club during the years of friendship between Trump and Epstein. Virginia Giuffre, a prominent voice in exposing Epstein, was recruited at age 16 while working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago.
Sky Roberts, Giuffre's brother, spoke tearfully of his sister's determination to expose Epstein's crimes before she died in April 2025. 'She was only 16 years old, a child who had just finished 10th grade, when she began being trafficked,' he said. 'Virginia gave sworn testimony exposing this for what it truly was, a global sex-trafficking operation, enabled, protected and funded by powerful people.'
Congressman Robert Garcia unveiled a new report titled 'The Price of Non-Prosecution', which alleges that Epstein built a lucrative international sex-trafficking ring after a 2008 plea deal with Florida prosecutors. The report claims that Epstein and his associates exploited the US immigration system to obtain visas for trafficking victims. Garcia stated that the report is 'just the beginning' of further disclosures.
Some panel members focused on the Trump administration's response, noting that Epstein emails released in November suggested Trump knew about the girls procured for the trafficking ring. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's activities.
