A House Oversight Committee report says prosecutorial missteps, preferential treatment and failures by institutions allowed Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to sexually exploit young women and girls for years.
The inquiry, overseen by Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, raised questions about possible conflicts among federal prosecutors, financial institutions that missed signs of trafficking, and people accused of helping Epstein abuse victims.
It focused on two former federal prosecutors whose roles in the original investigation may have created conflicts of interest. Matthew Menchel, a senior prosecutor who recommended resolving Epstein’s case through a non-prosecution agreement, had previously been romantically involved with Lilly Ann Sanchez, who later represented Epstein.
According to documents reviewed by the committee, Menchel did not recuse himself and continued to communicate and meet with Epstein after the agreement was reached.
Investigators also heard about a purported photograph of Menchel skiing with Epstein in Colorado in the early 2000s. They could not confirm the photo existed or establish that Menchel’s decisions were improperly influenced. Menchel denied skiing with Epstein in a statement to the Miami Herald, though he did not deny meeting him after leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Menchel’s attorneys said their client’s correspondence with Epstein concerned possible legal representation and referrals, but did not lead to any business. They also argued that Menchel did not shape the final plea agreement, which was more lenient than the one he had recommended. A 2020 Justice Department review found that Menchel had not told supervisors about his relationship with Sanchez, but found no evidence of prosecutorial misconduct.
Sanchez did not respond to a request for comment.
The report also examined former federal prosecutor Bruce Reinhart, who set up a private law practice while working at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and later represented people associated with Epstein. His practice handled matters connected to Epstein’s work-release program.
Former U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta testified that he did not know whether Reinhart had access to information about the Epstein investigation. Reinhart did not respond to a request for comment.
The committee called for further investigation of former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai after Sarah Kellen, a former Epstein assistant, testified that Epstein and the two men sexually abused her. Levine and Fekkai have denied the allegations in previous statements and did not respond to requests for comment.
Kellen also testified that Epstein directed another assistant to remove computers, hard drives and other equipment from his Palm Beach home before authorities searched it in 2005. Investigators believed the equipment might contain evidence of sexual exploitation.
Epstein’s attorney, Darren Indyke, testified that he later learned private investigators had the hard drives. Federal investigators developed a possible lead about the equipment but dropped the effort before Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement was finalized.
The committee considered whether Sandy Berger, a former national security adviser to President Bill Clinton, had alerted Epstein to the planned search. Berger sent Epstein an urgent message 18 days beforehand, but the committee found no evidence that he had tipped Epstein off or that the message was about the investigation.
The report urged additional investigations, stronger safeguards for trafficking survivors and reforms to help prevent similar failures by federal law enforcement.
One person it recommended investigating further was Lesley Groff, who worked as Epstein’s executive assistant for nearly 20 years. Groff scheduled his daily massage appointments and arranged travel and lodging for women visiting his properties. She testified that she did not know he was sexually abusing young women and girls, and continued working for him after his 2008 conviction. Groff did not respond to a request for comment.
The committee also criticized the privileges Epstein received after his 2008 conviction, saying his work-release arrangement gave him opportunities to keep abusing women.
Epstein served about 13 months of an 18-month sentence. He was allowed to leave jail for as long as 12 hours a day, six days a week. His approved activities included working at the Florida Science Foundation, which the committee described as a sham organization; traveling in private vehicles with paid off-duty sheriff’s deputies; meeting visitors without constant supervision; and going to his Palm Beach home.
Kellen and other survivors said Epstein continued sexually abusing them during the work-release period.
The investigation also looked into Epstein’s ties to prominent politicians, business leaders and academic institutions, including billionaire Bill Gates and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Lutnick told the committee in 2026 that he had “done absolutely nothing wrong.” He acknowledged having lunch with his family on Epstein’s private island in 2012, despite previously saying he had ended contact with Epstein in 2005. Lutnick said he could not remember why his family had lunch there. Comer said Lutnick addressed the discrepancy in his opening statement.
Gates testified that Epstein sought repayment for expenses connected to a woman with whom Gates had an affair. Gates said he refused, ended his relationship with Epstein in late 2014 and was never a client of Epstein’s financial businesses. Gates and Lutnick did not respond to requests for comment.
The committee described billionaire financier Leon Black as a significant source of Epstein’s income after the 2008 conviction. Black paid Epstein an estimated $158 million to $170 million for purported tax and estate-planning work.
The report also identified an agreement involving a woman with whom Black had an extramarital relationship. It reportedly called for payments of $100,000 a month for 15 years, along with other benefits, in exchange for confidentiality. Epstein reportedly advised Black on the agreement.
Black pointed to an independent investigation that found he was not involved in Epstein’s criminal conduct. The committee questioned whether that investigation was truly independent.
Black declined to fully answer some committee questions and did not comply with subpoenas. In September 2026, the House voted unanimously to hold him in criminal contempt of Congress. He did not respond to a request for comment.
The report further reviewed Epstein’s connections to current and former public officials. Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under President Barack Obama, remained in professional contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction and received costly gifts, including designer handbags, boots, spa treatments and travel upgrades.
In a 2016 email, Ruemmler joked that she had received the “best massage ever but not your kind of massage.” She acknowledged the remark was in poor taste and testified that she believed Epstein had resolved his criminal case and was living lawfully.
Ruemmler also said a May 2019 meeting with Epstein concerned potential litigation threatened by attorney Michael Avenatti, not a criminal investigation.
The committee noted that Rep. Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat from the U.S. Virgin Islands, exchanged text messages with Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing, including messages about questioning a witness. Plaskett did not dispute that they exchanged messages. Her office said she received texts from staff, constituents and members of the public, including Epstein, whom she described as a constituent who contacted her after a widely circulated exchange at the hearing. The committee did not accuse Plaskett of wrongdoing.
Ruemmler and Plaskett did not respond to requests for comment.
The report cited an email indicating that a campaign for House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had solicited a donation from Epstein. Jeffries said he did not recall the email and had never met or communicated with Epstein. Federal election records reportedly show no donations from Epstein to Jeffries or the committees involved. Reports identified Lisa Rossi, of political consulting firm Dynamic SRG, as the person who sent the message. Jeffries did not respond to a request for comment.
On Epstein’s death in 2019, the committee identified serious security failures at the prison but did not challenge the official finding that he died by suicide.
The report also faulted the Justice Department for missing disclosure deadlines and revealing survivors’ personal information when millions of documents related to Epstein were released.
The Republican-led inquiry said it found no evidence that President Donald Trump was involved in Epstein’s criminal activities and accused congressional Democrats of politicizing the investigation.
