The ghosts of Jeffrey Epstein’s depravity continue to haunt the corridors of power, as survivors of his heinous sex trafficking scheme refuse to be silenced.

The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday convened a closed-door briefing with six women who identified themselves as survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse.

The meeting, part of an ongoing investigation into the federal government’s handling of Epstein’s case, aimed to provide a forum for survivors to share their experiences directly with lawmakers.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., emphasized the importance of the session, stating, “Yes, it’s for us to hear from them, to express our deep sympathy for what they’ve been made to endure and ensure that we have been and always will be for maximum transparency, for justice to be brought for all those engaged in these evils and to ensure that happens as quickly as possible.”

Rep. Mace, a self-identified sexual assault survivor, attended the briefing but left early, visibly shaken.

Photographed wiping tears from her eyes as she hurried past reporters.

Mace later explained her departure.

"Since it’s already being reported – Yes I left the Oversight briefing with Epstein victims early. As a recent survivor (not 2 years in), I had a very difficult time listening to their stories. Full blown panic attack. Sweating. Hyperventilating. Shaking. I can’t breathe.," the GOP lawmaker wrote on X. "I feel the immense pain of how hard all victims are fighting for themselves because we know absolutely no one will fight for us. GOD BLESS ALL SURVIVORS."

Mace’s emotional response underscored the raw pain of Epstein’s victims, whose testimonies detailed the financier’s systemic abuse of dozens of girls, some as young as 14.

Epstein, who allegedly died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, was connected to a web of powerful figures, including former President Bill Clinton, and Britain’s Prince Andrew.

The Oversight Committee’s probe, led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has subpoenaed the Department of Justice for records related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.

On Tuesday evening, the committee released 33,295 pages of documents, including flight logs, jail surveillance video, court filings, and police interviews.

However, both Republicans and Democrats criticized the release, noting that 97% of the material was already public, prompting accusations of insufficient transparency.

"The 33,000 pages of Epstein documents James Comer has decided to ‘release’ were already mostly public information. What we need right now is full compliance with the subpoena, and the Attorney General — who once said that the files were on her desk — should release all the files immediately," Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, fumed.

Democrats have argued that survivors’ firsthand accounts may not be adequately represented in the Justice Department’s records, fueling calls for a comprehensive release of all Epstein-related files.

Adding fuel to the fire, Mace made a stunning public statement, demanding on Wednesday the arrest of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, for his alleged involvement with Epstein.

Citing his long-standing friendship with the disgraced financier and allegations by survivor Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was paid by Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was 17, Mace called for accountability.

Giuffre’s allegations, settled in 2022 with a reported £12 million payment from Andrew without admission of guilt, have kept the royal in the crosshairs of Epstein’s victims.

Mace’s demand for Andrew’s arrest marks a rare instance of a U.S. lawmaker directly naming a high-profile figure tied to the scandal, amplifying the survivors’ plea for justice.

The push for transparency gained momentum as survivors, joined by lawmakers, held a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.

Organized by Reps. Thomas Massie ,R-Ky., and Ro Khanna ,D-Calif., the event featured survivors like Marina Lacerda, previously identified as "minor victim one" in Epstein’s 2019 indictment.

"I would like for them to give all the victims transparency, right, to what happened and release these files," Lacerda declared.

Anouska De Georgiou, another survivor, emphasized the need for accountability, stating, "We are not asking for pity, we are here demanding accountability. And I’m demanding justice."

The survivors announced plans to compile their own list of Epstein’s associates, expressing fear for their safety but determination to expose the truth.

Massie and Khanna are spearheading a discharge petition to force a House vote to compel the Justice Department to release all Epstein files.

With 212 Democrats expected to support the petition, only two more Republican signatures are needed to reach the 218 required for a vote.

So far, four Republicans—Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Massie—have signed on, despite opposition from House Speaker Johnson and the Trump administration.

Johnson argued that the Oversight Committee’s investigation, which includes redacting victim identities, is the appropriate path, stating, "It does not adequately protect the innocent victims, and that is a critical component."

A White House official called the petition “a hostile act” against the administration, accusing supporters of seeking attention rather than justice.

Mace’s vocal support for the petition and her defense of former President Trump have drawn scrutiny.

She told reporters, “Donald Trump is the one who banned Jeffrey Epstein from Mar-a-Lago. He was an FBI informant, and he talked to the feds to get this guy turned over. So Donald Trump is a hero in this."

Critics, however, point to Trump’s past association with Epstein and his administration’s reluctance to release additional files, fueling speculation about redactions protecting powerful figures.

Massie, addressing the redactions, stated on CNN, "I don’t think the president is implicated, but I think friends and donors are."