Multiple survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have come forward to allege that the financier used promises of university admission and scholarships to ensnare them in his sexual abuse network. Among them is Rina Oh, a New York City artist who was 21 when she met Epstein in 2000 through Lisa Phillips, another survivor. Oh recalled Epstein telling her she was talented and needed a bachelor of fine arts degree, offering a scholarship to the School of Visual Arts with 'no strings attached', but later withdrawing it when she refused his demands.
Oh spent roughly two years in Epstein's network and described him as a 'cerebral beast' obsessed with infiltrating young minds. Other survivors have shared similar stories, including through interviews with Democrats on the House judiciary committee. Congressman Jamie Raskin sent letters to Columbia University and New York University seeking information on Epstein's use of educational promises to lure victims, noting that he ensured his victims were indebted to him and less likely to report crimes.
Lisa Phillips told the Wall Street Journal that Epstein dangled an education at NYU, arranged a campus visit, and she eventually took classes. Another woman said Epstein made her feel indebted by implying he got her into the university. According to the committee, Epstein paid for one survivor to attend NYU from 2000 to 2002, arranged a scholarship for another, and helped pay for a third to attend Columbia from 2004 to 2007. A fourth was promised a visa and admission but did not accept.
NYU and Columbia have both said they are reviewing Raskin's letters and are committed to cooperating with the inquiry. The revelations come as the justice department is expected to release a new tranche of Epstein-related documents in the coming days.
