Several outspoken survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse will be present at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, making it clear that their fight for transparency is far from over.
Standing together at a press conference before the speech, more than a dozen women said they will continue returning to Capitol Hill until all Epstein-related documents held by the Justice Department are fully released. For them, this is not just politics — it is about justice, accountability and being heard.
Survivors Demand Full Release of Epstein Files
The survivors are calling for the complete release of documents collected during the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Although the Department of Justice has already released over 3 million files in December and January, more than 3 million additional documents have been withheld.
Even in the released files, large portions of text have been blacked out.
Under the Epstein Transparency Act, passed by Congress last year, all documents were supposed to be made public. The law allows redaction only to protect the identities of victims — not to hide other details.
Survivors argue that the government has not fully followed the law.
Trump’s Position on the Documents
During his campaign, President Donald Trump had said the Epstein documents should be released. However, after taking office, he initially resisted efforts to make them public.
He later signed the Epstein Transparency Act after it passed both the House and Senate with strong majorities that could override a veto. Since then, Trump has said the country should move on from the Epstein case.
Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of abusing around 1,000 women and girls, died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Democrats Invite Survivors to the State of the Union
More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers invited Epstein survivors as their guests to the State of the Union speech.
Among those attending:
- Rep. Jamie Raskin and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam invited Sky and Amanda Roberts, relatives of Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries invited Marina Lacerda.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Dani Bensky.
- Rep. Ro Khanna invited Haley Robson.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal invited Marijke Chartouni.
- Rep. Maxine Dexter invited Lisa Phillips.
Some Democratic members who chose to boycott the speech still arranged for survivors to attend, showing their continued support for the cause.
Remembering Virginia Roberts Giuffre
Virginia Roberts Giuffre was one of the most prominent accusers of Jeffrey Epstein. Her decision to file a lawsuit against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell encouraged other women to come forward and pushed federal authorities to reopen investigations.
Giuffre died by suicide last year. Her family members attending the speech said they want her voice and the voices of other survivors to be remembered.
Amanda Roberts said at the press conference, “Do not look away from us. Do not look away from Virginia.”
Calls for Accountability and Transparency
Democratic leaders have joined survivors in demanding the release of all remaining documents.
Senator Chuck Schumer said that powerful individuals must be held accountable. Rep. Ro Khanna described his invitation to a survivor as an effort to bring accountability to what he called the “Epstein class.”
Survivors themselves made it clear that they will not stop speaking out.
Lisa Phillips said, “We will keep coming back again and again until all the Epstein files have been released, because accountability is impossible without full transparency.”
Why This Moment Matters
For survivors, attending the State of the Union is symbolic. It sends a message that the issue is still alive and cannot simply be brushed aside.
They believe that full transparency is necessary to:
- Understand who was involved.
- Ensure justice for victims.
- Prevent similar crimes in the future.
Many feel that releasing only partial documents keeps the public in the dark and protects powerful figures.
