Three women who say they are survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex trafficking slammedAttorney General Pam Bondiover the Justice Department's release of itsEpstein files, days after she defended her actions during an explosive congressional hearing.
On CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, Feb. 15, Jess Michaels, Liz Stein and Teresa Helm responded to Bondi's combativeappearance before the House Judiciary Committeelast week, during which Democrats and several Republicans severely criticized the administration's handling of the files and related investigations.
Chief among the complaints was the rollout of the documents not complying with a congressional deadline, and the release of some victim names and identifying information, while the names of potential co-conspirators and Epstein associates were redacted.
See photos:Pam Bondi faces Congress amid concerns over DOJ Epstein files release
"She was turning her back on survivors everywhere, and not just us," Helm alleged to CNN's Jake Tapper. "And that's not the message that we should be sending at all."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) (R) talks with Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) as they arrive for a hearing with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Feb. 11, 2026 in Washington, DC." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Pam Bondi faces Congress amid concerns over DOJ Epstein files release
The Justice Department has been under fire for not prosecuting any alleged co-conspirators of theaccused sex trafficker, and for releasing roughly60% of the documents it hasrelated to Epstein. Bondi told lawmakers during the Wednesday, Feb. 11 hearing that investigations into possible co-conspirators are ongoing.
She denied accusations from lawmakers, including by Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, that the department wasengaged in a "cover-up."
The only other person prosecuted so far has been Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison. Epstein died in jail in 2019 awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. The Department of Justice estimates the late money managervictimized more than 1,000 woman and children.
More:What we know about Lifetouch, school photos and the Epstein files
During the hearing, the three women were seated directly behind Bondi, among others who say they were victims of sexual abuse and trafficking by Epstein. The attorney general refused to turn around and acknowledge the group when asked to do so. At another point, the group of nearly a dozen all raised their hands when asked by a member of Congress whether they were waiting to be contacted by the Justice Department to speak about their allegations against Epstein.
Stein told CNN's Tapper that the administration has tried to discredit Epstein survivors, and officials have made attempts at seeking justice over Epstein's alleged crimes "incredibly difficult."
"For us to be in that room withPam Bondilast week, and for her to not even be able to turn around and look at us like human beings − we're just seeing this bad behavior of our administration over and over and over again, in plain sight," Stein added.
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More:'You all should be apologizing.' Bondi fights with Democrats in fiery hearing
Bondi has denied that she has ignored women who accused Epstein of sexual abuse and invited any crime victims to contact the FBI.
"I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so," Bondi said during the hearing. "I am deeply sorry for what any victim has been through, especially as a result of that monster."
During one particularly heated exchange, a Democratic lawmaker asked Bondi how many of Epstein's accomplices she had pushed to be indicted, which is none. The attorney general responded by noting the Dow Jones Industrial Average has topped 50,000, the S&P 500 neared 7,000 and the Nasdaq "is smashing records" underPresident Donald Trump, arguing they should instead be focusing on therising stock marketand falling crime.
During the CNN interview, Michaels reacted to that response, referencing acomplaint filed to the FBI by Maria Farmerover child sexual abuse material. Farmer, who also alleged Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted her, has accused the government of being negligent in not responding to her complaints.
"I think it comes down to the same common denominator that has happened since 1996, when Maria put her first report in, that this comes down to money, that people are willing to protect pedophiles if the price is right," Michaels alleged.
Several high-profile individuals who have appeared in the files have faced swift public rebuke for maintaining personal and business relationships with Epstein for years after he was convicted in 2008 on two state prostitution charges. Reverberations of the scandalhave stretched beyond the United States, impacting two European royal families and several European governments.
Two House members wholed the effort to force the Justice Departmentto release the Epstein files alleged they discovered at leastsix more suspected accompliceswhose names are redacted in publicly released materials without explanation. The departmentbegan allowing lawmakerson Feb. 9 to review millions of records that remain confidential.
"Something that I like to bring the public's focus back to is that this isn't about politics. This is about a crime," Stein said. "We're victims of the crime of sex trafficking, and I don't think that anyone in our country, if this was happening in their community, could stand by and watch it."
Contributing: Bart Jansen, USA TODAY.
Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Epstein accusers slam Pam Bondi after heated hearing
