Epstein Survivors Demand Accountability

Annie Farmer, one of several Epstein survivors attending Tuesday’s State of the Union, had a direct message for President Donald Trump.

Farmer and her sister Maria were victims of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in the 1990s. “I’m here to remind you that transparency hasn’t happened, and we still want transparency,” Farmer shared with the California Post.

Maria, who was initially hired by Epstein to assist with art purchases, had previously urged the FBI to investigate him for child pornography back in 1996, but claims federal authorities did not act on her concerns. She also mentioned being sexually assaulted by both Epstein and Maxwell. In May, she filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and the FBI, accusing them of negligence and causing emotional distress.

Annie publicly testified during Maxwell’s trial in 2021, stating that at the age of 16, she visited Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, where Maxwell subjected her to a nude massage and groping. Epstein then allegedly climbed into bed with her to “cuddle.” Annie expressed that all remaining files related to Epstein should be disclosed. “I hope people follow up on these investigative leads so we can achieve real accountability and connect the dots to understand what happened,” she said.

This sentiment was echoed by Lauren Hersh, co-founder of World Without Exploitation, a major anti-trafficking coalition. Hersh noted that the Department of Justice claimed there were six million files linked to Epstein, but only about half have been released. “We want the remaining files made public,” she insisted.

Hersh had hoped Trump would acknowledge the victims during his lengthy speech, which lasted nearly two hours. She emphasized the necessity of maintaining pressure for accountability. “We haven’t seen a significant investigation into the leads present in the released Epstein files,” she remarked, suggesting there are multiple areas to explore further.

Recently, various foreign dignitaries, like the scandal-ridden ex-Prince Andrew, have been arrested related to Epstein. However, in the U.S., the repercussions have mainly included resignations and public apologies, such as former Harvard president Larry Summers stepping down due to his ties with Epstein. Billionaire Bill Gates also issued an apology regarding his connection to Epstein.

“We need to scrutinize the level of accountability they are actually facing,” Hersh noted. “Stepping down from one role doesn’t eliminate their power or influence in other capacities.”

Farmer reiterated, “This story isn’t going away.”