By Yasin Gungor
ISTANBUL (AA) - Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blamed Jeffrey Epstein's connections to global elites on Wednesday for preventing justice for his victims, citing the convicted sex trafficker's ability to operate among powerful figures worldwide.
"Do you want to know why?" Greene asked at a news conference, alongside survivors. "It's because Jeffrey Epstein somehow was able to walk among the most-rich, powerful people, not only in America, but foreign countries."
Greene specifically noted that Epstein had connections spanning multiple nations, stating she heard about his ties to "countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia and even Israel and other countries."
The congresswoman from the state of Georgia condemned what she described as the systematic protection of Epstein and his network. "The shame falls on every single person that coldly turned a blind eye to their abuse ... that protected the monster Jeffrey Epstein and his cabal that continued a nightmare," said Greene.
Her comments came during a bipartisan push for the full release of federal documents related to Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of sex trafficking in connection with the case.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna echoed concerns about powerful interests blocking transparency, questioning how "corrupt, special interest forces" prevent the full disclosure of Epstein files. He underlined that it is not a partisan issue and asked his Republican colleagues to support the petition.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie said that the "Washington establishment" is asking Americans to believe that Epstein and Maxwell acted alone, which "is not believable."
- Congressional action
The remarks supported a discharge petition led by Massie and Khanna seeking to force a House of Representatives vote on the complete document release. The petition has 216 supporters, 212 Democrats and four Republicans, needing just two more to bypass House leadership.
The House Oversight Committee previously released more than 33,000 pages of Epstein-related documents, though most were heavily redacted or already public information.
Epstein survivors demanded accountability and legal support to face their abusers and achieve justice.
"Passing this Epstein transparency bill is one important step that can be taken to prove to Americans that the government does not side with sexual perpetrators," said one survivor.