00:00It's time to release the files, it's time to center the survivors, and the president
00:05should know that even though he wants to call this a hoax, that our investigation is just
00:09getting started.
00:11Good morning.
00:13My name is Annie Farmer, and this is a photo of me and my sister Maria Farmer around the
00:19time I was 16 and she was 25.
00:22That's how old we were when we were abused by Epstein and Maxwell.
00:28Survivors have repeatedly stated that our pursuit of transparency and justice is a nonpartisan
00:33issue.
00:34But given the political noise surrounding this case, I just want to remind people of some
00:38of the facts.
00:40In 1996, when my sister Maria bravely blew the whistle on this group by reporting to the FBI
00:47what Epstein and Maxwell did to both of us.
00:50They hung up on the phone on her and there was no follow up of any kind.
00:53Bill Clinton was president.
00:56In 2006, the FBI came to us, finally interviewed us, and asked us both to be witnesses against
01:02Epstein.
01:04We were very anxious, but we agreed.
01:06And then we didn't hear back from them due to their infamous sweetheart deal.
01:10George W. Bush was president.
01:13In 2015, when the DOJ was sent a FOIA request for Maria's FBI files and they were denied,
01:20as they have been many times, Barack Obama was president.
01:24In 2019, when Epstein died in prison due to either negligence or foul play, Donald Trump
01:30was president.
01:32In 2023, Maria's attorneys sent a letter on her behalf to the government requesting an
01:38investigation into the repeated law enforcement failures in this case, similar to what was
01:42done in the case of Larry Nassar.
01:44They declined to do so.
01:47Consequently, my sister filed notice that she would be suing the government for failing
01:50to uphold its legal, ethical, and moral duties in this case.
01:55Joe Biden was president.
01:57This year, after campaigning on a pledge to finally release the files, under Trump's second
02:02presidency, the DOJ announced they were closing the investigation into Epstein's co-conspirators,
02:07and then transferred Ghislaine Maxwell into a prison camp, where it is well documented
02:13that she is receiving special treatment.
02:15This is not an issue of a few corrupt Democrats or a few corrupt Republicans.
02:22This is a case of institutional betrayal.
02:25Because these crimes were not properly investigated, so many more girls and women were harmed.
02:30My sister, because of her bravery, was repeatedly threatened and lived in fear with dire consequences
02:37for her health and her career.
02:40Thirty years later, even as oceans of allegations and obvious truths have emerged, the government
02:45has still not chosen transparency.
02:47This is why we have all come together as one united voice to demand the release of all
02:53the Epstein files and to finally bring the truth out of the shadows.
02:56And I just want to remind the president and the attorney general that they are right now
03:03in violation of the law.
03:05And when the president makes his speech tonight, he is going to know that looking back at him
03:12will be numerous survivors of Epstein's abuse.
03:16And that he is facilitating the single largest cover up in modern American history.
03:24It's the single largest cover up in modern American history.
03:29And who are we protecting?
03:31Why are we protecting powerful, wealthy, connected men?
03:37Why are we protecting billionaires from justice?
03:42Because we're always going to center the survivors.
03:47The single most important part of our investigation and what we're guided by is justice for Annie.
03:55It's justice for Maria.
03:59It's justice for so many that have been wronged, harmed and terrorized by not just Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell,
04:08but by the co-conspirators and all that helped them commit their abuse.
04:15Let's be clear, over 50% of the files have still not been released to the public.
04:23And we know as early as just today and yesterday, there are numerous files that we have confirmed that are
04:29missing from the DOJ that we know exist.
04:33including accusations and serious accusations, not just against the president, but against others.
04:40It's time to release the files.
04:42It's time to center the survivors.
04:44And the president should know that even though he wants to call this a hoax, that our investigation is just
04:49getting started.
04:55Thank you so much, Congressman Garcia, your leadership has meant so much to myself and to so many of us.
05:04The government's original sin in this case was not following up in any way on my sister Maria Farmer's 1996
05:11report to the FBI about Epstein and Maxwell and the powerful circle that surrounded them.
05:18Since that time, the girls and women who were abused by these criminals have been repeatedly neglected and re-victimized
05:26by our own government.
05:28The recent release of materials highlights this, as the names of many powerful individuals remain redacted, while the names, personal
05:36data, and even images, nude images, of many victims were released.
05:42Rather than apologize for this failure, this DOJ has doubled down on denial and distraction.
05:50We are tired of the games.
05:52When those we elect to office misuse their positions, it harms us all.
05:57We are here to remind our elected leaders and other Americans that there is always a choice.
06:04You can sit by and watch the abuse of power, as so many wealthy, educated, connected individuals did in the
06:12Epstein case.
06:13Or you can do the right thing, the courageous thing.
06:16You can speak out the way my sister Maria Farmer did because of her concern for her younger sisters.
06:24You can speak out the way Virginia Roberts Dufresne did after she looked down and saw her daughter and knew
06:32she deserved safety and protection.
06:36I know that courage is contagious because these women inspired me to find my voice.
06:41And the more I have used it, the more I have heard from others who are speaking out about their
06:46own experiences of abuse and standing with us in demanding true transparency,
06:52the whole truth that survivors and the American people deserve.
07:04I think it was about not even a week ago, maybe, that I was sitting in a TV studio hearing
07:13some men talk about what this next legislative process entailed
07:19and how it was really incredibly unlikely that we would ever make it to pass this point.
07:24Maybe we get the votes we needed in the House.
07:27And so I just think that the fact that we are here with a nearly unanimous vote today says so
07:34much.
07:34And that we are really about the power of people coming together and the power of women coming together.
07:42So I just I want to also express my gratitude to all the people standing here behind us.
07:47We we have not been heard for so long.
07:50And I think the power of being heard and being recognized and being validated is incredibly healing.
07:56So thank you so much.
08:03You know, I there are so many people that are with me in my heart today.
08:11And I've spoken quite a bit today about my sister, Maria Farmer, who was a whistleblower who bravely spoke out
08:18in 1996 against Epstein.
08:21And I had the chance to speak with her right before coming here today about what I had seen transpire.
08:26And she, you know, is at home because of health problems that I believe were very directly related to the
08:32stress that all this caused.
08:35But she was full of joy hearing about what's happened and hearing that we are so close to being where
08:41we need to be to finally bring the light into the darkness of this case.
08:46But I, of course, I'm also thinking about others in this case.
08:50And we know that they're the harms that are caused by these types of traumas have long lasting results.
08:57Right. And there are people that are no longer with us in part due to the trauma that they suffered
09:02because of this case.
09:04We are one of those women I've been thinking of today is Carolyn Adriano, who spoke out so bravely in
09:10the Maxwell trial, which I know as a witness in that case was an extremely stressful experience.
09:19And and and after that, she lost her life to, you know, I think, you know, issues related to this
09:26to just the stress of all the trauma that she had been through in her life.
09:31And I think that's what you people, you know, sometimes don't understand about the lasting effects of these types of
09:36crimes.
09:39And, you know, I've had the opportunity, the great privilege of my life as a psychologist to work with, you
09:47know, people who have been victims of these types of crimes in all different settings.
09:52One of the most transformative experiences of my life was working with Native Alaskan women in rural Alaska, Yupik women,
10:01where there are very high rates of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
10:06And, you know, what I saw from them in terms of the courage and resilience and moving forward really inspired
10:12me, you know, before long before, you know, I had ever spoken out in this case.
10:19Right. And since then, working, doing therapy with women, I've seen so much of how these the long lasting impacts
10:27of these things.
10:29And so I am thinking about so many women as I am here today.
10:34And most of all, you know, I am thinking.
10:39So, hi.
10:42About Virginia Roberts Giffre.
10:45We would not be here without her. There is no doubt in my mind about that.
10:50And, you know, I very much, I think, like many people, you know, there were fights going on.
10:57There were definitely women that, you know, worked so hard for so long for justice.
11:01But I had, you know, given up on the idea that anything would happen in this case.
11:08After the sweetheart deal, I felt like everyone knew about Epstein.
11:11We would see things in tabloids about Epstein.
11:13This is not a secret. Right.
11:17And when I first saw the photo of Virginia and Prince Andrew, I was at my job.
11:23I remember so clearly the moment that it popped up on my computer screen.
11:26And I just kind of was taken aback.
11:29And I just immediately knew the truth behind that photo.
11:34And I felt the bravery of this woman who was taking on the world with this story.
11:39And it was being met with such contempt and disrespect.
11:44And, you know, at a time, you know, before the Me Too movement, when there was such this kind of
11:49attitude of disregard for people that spoke out in this way.
11:54And it was a short time later that I was contacted by an attorney and told about her defamation suit.
12:02And spoke with my sister and we agreed that we would be witnesses in that case when we had no
12:07desire.
12:07We thought this was behind us.
12:08But we thought if this woman is brave enough to take on Maxwell and to bring this into the light,
12:14we have to stand with her.
12:16And then, you know, I had the opportunity to meet Virginia in 2019 and seeing her in this, you know,
12:26this insane group of reporters, everyone mobbing, you know, and she just had this poise and this strength that I
12:36felt like it was incredible to see.
12:39It was incredible to be witness to. She immediately rallied all of us together and had this vision for what
12:46could happen, what people could learn from this, what she wanted to do with this platform and and push that
12:52forward in such a brave way.
12:54And I think the fact that her memoir has just been released as a bestseller and we are here today
13:00is not a coincidence.
13:01She is changing hearts and changing minds, you know, all over this country and all over the world.
13:08And so I just I just want to, you know, take a moment.
13:12I feel like she's here with us. I feel like she can see this.
13:15So thank you, Virginia, for all that you've done for all of us.
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