Actress Appeals for Epstein Records Transparency
An actress who alleges that Jeffrey Epstein groped her nearly three decades ago emotionally urged lawmakers to support a bill aimed at making all investigative records about the deceased financier public.
Alicia Arden spoke at a press conference on Monday, imploring the House of Representatives to pass the Epstein File Transparency Act. She described last week’s political maneuvering as a “slap in the face to victims like me who are demanding justice.”
According to Arden, she was 27 when Epstein, under the guise of a Victoria’s Secret model scout, invited her to a hotel room in Santa Monica in May 1997. She thought she was auditioning for a modeling job, but instead, Epstein assaulted her. Fortunately, Arden managed to escape and called the police later that day.
“What we really saw last week is that people in Washington seem more interested in their political games than in being truthful with the American people or aiding the victims,” Arden expressed, visibly upset.
“Please, please release these files once and for all,” she pleaded, her voice thick with emotion. “There’s no rational reason to keep this from the public. It’s victims like me who want to see these documents.” She also questioned, “What reason could there be for hiding this information, other than to protect someone else?”
Arden’s attorney, Gloria Allred, acknowledged President Trump for his role in advancing the bill through the House, though she voiced concerns about whether his commitment to transparency would hold true if the bill proceeded to the Senate and reached his desk.
A vote on the bill is scheduled for Tuesday, and it’s expected to pass with broad support. Senate Republicans will follow suit, reportedly showing enough backing for the measure, which Trump is anticipated to approve.
If enacted, the bill would obligate Attorney General Pam Bondi to update Congress within 15 days about all categories of records released or withheld, along with a list of officials mentioned in the documents and the reasons for any redactions.
According to the proposed legislation, only the names of victims can be redacted; names cannot be withheld solely to spare others embarrassment. It would mandate the release of all investigative materials related to Epstein, including flight logs, names related to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, the 2008 non-prosecution agreement, civil lawsuits, and prison death records, all in a searchable format.
Last week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee disclosed emails indicating that Trump may have been aware of some criminal activities undertaken by his former associates.
Epstein, who was 66, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on human trafficking charges. He pled guilty to child prostitution charges in 2008 and served an 18-month sentence that allowed for work release during the day.
