'Courage is contagious': More women come forward as survivors demand Epstein files release

Jeffrey Epstein survivors rallied in front of Congress on Wednesday, detailing their experiences of abuse and calling for the release of all Epstein files. “We cannot heal without justice,” says one Epstein survivor, Chauntae Davies. “We cannot protect the future if we refuse to confront the past.” Survivors also announced that some victims would work to confidentially compile their own list of individuals implicated in Epstein’s crimes. This comes as lawmakers seek to force a House floor vote compelling the Justice Department to release all the files from the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Lauren Hersh, the national director of the anti-trafficking organization World Without Exploitation, is a former sex-trafficking prosecutor in New York who joined survivors for their press conference just steps from the Capitol on Wednesday. “Courage is contagious,” says Hersh, adding that “we were approached by several other Epstein survivors who we didn’t even know.”

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Survivors of serial sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein held a press conference steps away from the Capitol Wednesday to share their testimonies and demand lawmakers release all government files related to the Epstein investigation. Calls for the full files to be released have continued to grow, particularly among President Trump’s base. Trump campaigned on releasing the files but has called it a distraction and a, quote, “Democratic hoax” since taking office. The women were joined by members of Congress who have introduced a rare bipartisan bill that would make release of the Epstein investigation files law.

AMY GOODMAN: In a few minutes, we’ll speak with Congressmember Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored the bill, and Lauren Hersh of World Without Exploitation, which helped organize the survivors who spoke out Wednesday. But first, the voices of survivors.

MARINA LACERDA: My name is Marina Lacerda. I was minor victim one in federal indictment of Jeffrey Epstein in New York in 2019. I was one of dozen of girls that I personally know who were forced into Jeffrey’s mansion on 9 East 71 Street in New York City when we were just kids.

Today is the first time that I ever speak publicly about what happened to me. I never thought that I would find myself here. The only reason that I am here is because it feels like the people who matter in this country finally care about what we have to say. As an immigrant from Brazil, I feel empowered knowing that the little girl struggling to get by at 14 and 15 years old finally has a voice. For the first time, I feel like I matter as an American.

I was only 14 years old when I met Jeffrey. It was the summer of high school. I was working three jobs to try to support my mom and my sister, when a friend of mine in the neighborhood told me that I could make $300 to give another guy a massage. It went from a dream job to the worst nightmare. Jeffrey assistant Lesley Groff would call me and tell me that I needed to be at the house so often that I ended up dropping out of high school before ninth grade, and I never went back. From 14 to 17 years old, I went and worked for Jeffrey instead of receiving an education. Every day, I hoped that he would offer me a real job as one of his assistants or something, something important. I would finally have made it big, as, like we say, the American dream. That day never came. I had no way. I had no way out. I was — until he finally told me that I was too old.

There are many pieces of my story that I can’t remember, no matter how hard I try. The constant state of wonder causes me so much fear and so much confusion. My therapist says that my brain is just trying to protect itself, but it’s so hard to begin to heal, knowing that there are people out there who know more about my abuse than I do. The worst part is that the government is still in possession right now of the documents and information about — that could help me remember and get over all of this, maybe, and help me heal. They have documents with my name on them that were confiscated from Jeffrey Epstein’s house and could help me put the pieces of my own life back together.

HALEY ROBSON: My name is Haley Robson. I was a 16-year-old high school student athlete who made good grades and had high aspirations for college, when I was recruited and asked by a classmate of mine, alongside with a 20-year-old male, if I wanted to give an old rich guy a massage. But what high school girl would not want to do that? That day changed my life forever.

And when I got into the massage room, Jeffrey Epstein undressed and asked me to do things to him. My eyes welled up with tears, and I have never been more scared in my life. When it was over, he made — he paid me $200 and requested, in exchange, that I bring a girl each time to make another $200. I told him I did not want to do that, and then he gave me an ultimatum: “Either you come here and massage me when I call you, or you bring me friends of yours to massage, and I will give you $200 per girl for each time she comes.”

I felt and hoped to never hear from him again, but he called me every day. He was so wealthy and powerful, and he would not let me go. I felt I had no choice. If I disobeyed him, I knew something bad would happen. So, knowing I did not want to be sexually abused — I’m sorry — I started to bring him other girls from my high school, and he paid me $200, $200 for bringing them. I just hoped each time it would be the last time.

One day, the stepmom of one of the girls brought him and called the police on Jeffrey Epstein. The police then called me, called me in for questioning. I had told them the truth, despite the fact that I was a teenager and a minor, and I was able to tell the police the names of all the other victims. The police treated me like a criminal. I had, by this time, had turned 18. I had been with Jeffrey since I was 16 and for two years. So, they had told me I distribute — I distributed to the — so, they told me I was going to be arrested. My name was then distributed to the press as a co-conspirator of my abuser, who I detested. My entire world was crashing in around me, and I started being threatened and bullied, ’til this day still receiving death threats.

CHAUNTAE DAVIES: My name is Chauntae Davies, and I’m here before you today as a survivor, a survivor of decades of pain, the trauma, betrayal at the hands of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, and the people who enabled them, and a government that for far too long refused to help. …

I was just one of the many young women trapped in his orbit. I was even taken on a trip to Africa with former President Bill Clinton and other notable figures. In those moments, I realized how powerless I was. If I spoke out, who would believe me? Who would protect me? Epstein himself was the most powerful leader of our country — Epstein surrounded himself, I’m sorry, with the most powerful leaders of our country and the world. He abused not only me, but countless others, and everyone seemed to look away. The truth is, Epstein had a free pass. He bragged about his powerful friends, including our current president, Donald Trump. It was his biggest brag, actually.

And while I — what I endured will haunt me forever. I live every day with PTSD. I live as a mother trying to raise my child while distrusting a world that has betrayed me. This kind of trauma never leaves you. It breaks families apart. It shapes the way we see everyone around us. But one thing is certain: Unless we learn from this history, monsters like Epstein will rise again.

There are files, government files, that hold the truth about Epstein, who he knew, who owed him, who protected him, and why he was allowed to operate for so long without consequence. Why was Maxwell the only one held accountable when so many others played a role? Why does the government hide this information from the public? This secrecy is not protection; it’s complicity. And as long as the truth is buried, justice will remain out of reach.

That is why this bill matters. Passing it will — bless you — endure — ensure that the suffering of survivors is not in vain. Passing it will bring accountability, transparency and prevention. It will help protect the next generation of predators who seek to place themselves above the law through wealth, influence and connections.

This is not just my story. It is about every survivor who carries invisible scars. It’s about the weight we live with daily. It is about the families broken and the futures stolen. So, I ask you, President Trump and members of Congress: Why do we continue to cover up sexual abuse and assault? Who are we covering for? Let the public know the truth. We cannot heal without justice. We cannot protect the future if we refuse to confront the past.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Those were some of the Epstein survivors who spoke out Wednesday in a news conference outside the Capitol. They also called for the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, who will join us in a moment.

AMY GOODMAN: World Without Exploitation helped organize the survivors who spoke out. It’s the largest anti-trafficking coalition in the country. For more, we’re joined by its national director, Lauren Hersh, the former chief of sex-trafficking unit here in New York.

Lauren Hersh, welcome to Democracy Now! If you can talk about the significance of this moment? You had scores of women, of survivors. Some of them had never spoken before, surrounding the group of women who did speak. Talk about this moment and also what it means for them to be calling for something that the Trump administration said they were protecting the victims when they were not releasing the files, calling for the release of the Epstein files.

LAUREN HERSH: Well, good morning, and thank you so much for having me.

This was truly a historic moment. We saw more than 20 Epstein survivors come together. They stood in solidarity with one another and so many survivors of other exploiters who joined them at the Hill yesterday to listen to their voices. And it was historic for so many reasons, because this was really the first time that these women were coming together and really connecting with one another.

But also, it was so powerful to listen to their stories and also listen to their call to action, and listen to the other women who surrounded them, many of whom were exploited by other people. But interestingly, we were approached by several other Epstein survivors, who we didn’t even know who were in the space, who said, “I needed to be here today. I needed to listen to my survivor sisters. And this gave me strength and empowered me for the very first time.”

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, that’s extraordinary, Lauren. Do you think any of those people would be willing, the people who were there who were also survivors of Epstein’s or his consorts, cohorts, subject to their — to sexual abuse by them, whether they would also be willing to speak out?

LAUREN HERSH: Well, what we know is courage is contagious. And we saw that yesterday. I’m not sure if any of these women who came yesterday, who were Epstein survivors who had never said that out loud, if they planned to even approach some of us. And yet, once they listened to these survivors speaking their truth, they felt empowered and safe enough to come forward and say, “Yes, me, too.” So, I think this may be the moment where we are unlocking even more, more voices, more survivors, and the possibility of so much more truth coming out.

AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to turn to President Trump’s response when asked about the Epstein survivors’ testimony, as he was sitting in the Oval Office.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So, this is a Democrat hoax that never ends. … I think we’re probably having, according to what I read, even from two people in this room, we’re having the most successful eight months of any president ever. And that’s what I want to talk about. That’s what we should be talking about, not the Epstein hoax.

AMY GOODMAN: So, that was President Trump. Lauren Hersh, a “hoax.” I keep thinking of one of the women saying, “I’m a Republican. I voted for President Trump. This doesn’t have to do with party politics.” Your response, Lauren?

LAUREN HERSH: I mean, what I want to talk about is listening to the voices of survivors, right? They said, loud and clear, this is not a political issue. This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue about people. This is an issue about what they, these women, collectively and individually, have experienced over decades. There has been so much trauma. There has been so much terror. And they’re finally at the point where they’re saying, “No more. We are ready to speak our truth.”

And truthfully, this is not the first time that women have come forward. Many have come forward individually, saying, “We want these people to be held to account.” But this is really the first time that they’re collectively coming together. And so, we want to make sure that we’re centering those voices, we’re listening to the voices, who are saying, very loud and clear, it’s time to release all of the files.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Lauren, if you could comment on the significance of the survivors saying that they are, in fact, compiling a list of clients themselves? They didn’t say necessarily that they would release that client list, but just the fact that they’re compiling it. Your response to that?

LAUREN HERSH: My response is, there is such power in this incredible community. What you’re hearing from them are decades of frustration. These are women who have been let down by system after system, and they’re at the point where they’re saying, “We’ve got answers. We know the truth. And if we come together, we can provide the truth.” And so, that is what they intend to do. It’s very powerful.

AMY GOODMAN: Lauren Hersh, we want to thank you so much for being with us, national director of the largest anti-trafficking coalition in the country, World Without Exploitation, former sex-trafficking prosecutor in New York. The organization helped to organize the survivors who spoke out Wednesday just steps from the Capitol.