A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing for a vote to force a release of all federal records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Survivors of Epstein's abuse joined lawmakers on Capitol Hill yesterday to demand the files. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, died by suicide earlier this year. Her brother Sky Roberts was there.
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SKY ROBERTS: The survivors of this horrific abuse are watching. The American people are watching, and history is watching. Which side will you be on?
MARTÍNEZ: NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales has been following this. Claudia, tell us about this rally. It looked very intense.
CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Yes, it was. Good morning, A. It was really an unprecedented moment. These survivors - they want to be humanized. They want closure after decades of suffering, and more are coming forward to be heard. That includes Marina Lacerda. She was identified in Epstein's 2019 indictment as Minor Victim 1. She spoke publicly for the first time, and she rejected President Trump characterizing these efforts as part of a Democratic hoax.
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MARINA LACERDA: We are here. We want this bill to pass. It is very important, OK? And we need transparency. We are tired of looking at the news and seeing Jeffrey Epstein's name and saying that this is a hoax. We are tired of it.
GRISALES: She says in order to heal, survivors need to access these files. And the worst part is knowing the government has information that they do not.
MARTÍNEZ: Investigations into Epstein started more than two decades ago, so the records have been around a long time - a while. Why such a big push now?
GRISALES: Well, Trump and other Republicans really revived this case last year on the campaign trail by promising to release these records and then backtracking. The attorney for the survivors said Trump directly helped their investigation in 2009. But we heard Trump again yesterday say that this is just a political stunt. Survivors also argued the records hold the keys to ensuring this never happens again. And by making these files public, many more participants could be held to account. And they're also worried about Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted for sex trafficking, and that a new deal could be offered to her. She was moved to a Texas minimum security facility following an interview with a top Trump Justice Department official.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. So Republicans called for those files to be released. Now they're facing allegations that Trump is trying to cover up the extent of his relationship with Epstein by refusing to release the documents. So how are Republicans threading that needle?
GRISALES: Well, leaders are backing a new House Oversight Committee probe into the case, but critics say that falls short. So we're seeing a new splintering of the party as this small, albeit loud group of Republicans led by Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie are pushing a bill to release the records. They've been joined by Democrats, but they still need at least two more Republicans to sign on to what's known as a discharge petition that would override leadership and get this bill to the House floor.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. So what would happen next?
GRISALES: So survivors say they will compile and release their own list of participants in this sex trafficking network if Congress and Trump do not act. The Oversight Committee will also continue their work. They've issued dozens of subpoenas, so more records are expected to be released, along with plans for more witness interviews in the coming weeks.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's NPR's Claudia Grisales. Thanks a lot.
GRISALES: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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