Survivors express frustration as the Department of Justice has not released documents related to the Epstein and Maxwell investigations since December 23. They criticize the redactions and claim the released information is superficial, failing to reveal the full scope of the trafficking network. One survivor believes the DOJ is more concerned with protecting powerful individuals than the victims.
The Department of Justice has not released a single document pertaining to its investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell since Dec. 23, and survivors aren't holding their breath that they'll see more relevant documents released any time soon.
'I'm losing faith,' Epstein survivor and advocate Lisa Phillips said, 'I thought when the president signed the bill, whether he wanted to or not, that we were going to get answers and the files were going to be released at some point, but just seeing what's being released, I just feel like it's a joke.' Phillips tells the Scripps News Group she's felt an increase in nervousness and anxiousness since the deadline hit on Dec. 19.RELATED STORY | DOJ doesn't give date on when more Epstein files will be releasedAccording to Phillips, the documents made public so far fail to tell a coherent or truthful story about Epstein's operation. She described the releases as superficial, where evidence has been omitted that could reveal how Epstein's trafficking network actually functioned.'It doesn't take the audios, the videos, the emails and put it all together to paint a real picture,' she explained.The Department of Justice has said it is consulting with victims and their attorneys as it makes redactions. In repeated letters to federal judges, Attorney General Pam Bondi says her team is going through millions of documents and redacting information to protect victims. Phillips rejected that explanation, arguing that the redactions serve a very different purpose.RELATED STORY | Justice Department has released only 1% of Epstein files, new filing says'They've never been worried about the victims,' she said, 'They're worried about politicians and powerful people' who could be embarrassed or incriminated.Phillips pointed to Epstein's extensive use of surveillance inside his homes, saying, unless it's been destroyed, authorities already possess far more evidence than they are willing to release.'Epstein had, in his home, cameras everywhere,' she said. 'They have video of every person who walked into those houses, every person who went into a room with a minor or a young woman. They can see what happened before, during, and after.'She and another survivor recently joined Congressmen Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie in asking the judge overseeing Maxwell's criminal case to appoint an independent authority to oversee the review and release of the files. The request was denied.RELATED STORY | Epstein survivors urge DOJ watchdog to review and oversee future file releases'It was really disappointing,' she said. 'The best solution would have been someone unbiased, nonpartisan, just going through the files and connecting the dots properly.'Those dots, Phillips said, stretch far beyond Epstein himself.'Epstein had tentacles in all different areas, including academia, tech, universities, modeling agencies,' she said. Phillips described Epstein as a calculated manipulator who tailored his grooming to each victim's ambitions.'Nothing was random with Jeffrey Epstein,' she said. 'He worked on what you wanted.'Still, she says, even with a full release of the files, she doesn't expect to see every perpetrator behind bars. RELATED STORY | Lawmakers threaten legal action over delayed Epstein files release'We know how powerful these men are,' Phillips said. 'Justice doesn't mean everyone goes to prison. But it does mean the truth comes out.'Phillips is arguably one of the most outspoken of the survivors. Last fall, at a press conference on Capitol Hill, she said survivors might begin naming names themselves if the government failed to act. When Scripps News asked her about the status of the list, she said pieces have already been released.'I've been making that a reality,' she said, noting that some individuals she has publicly called out have since resigned.This time, Phillips says, the list came from survivors realizing many of them were sent to various universities on scholarships by Epstein himself.Maxwell has filed a habeas corpus petition with the Court, where she reveals there are four potential co-conspirators and 25 men who allegedly settled their claims. All of their identities, Maxwell says, are known to the government.Maxwell is expected to give a virtual deposition to the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 9.'We don't want her releasing names so she's let out of prison,' she said. 'We want her in prison because she did abuse young girls.'Aside from the Committee's work, she concedes there's not much appetite on Capitol Hill to pressure the administration to release the files. 'They're scared,' she added.Her ire lies with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who Phillips said has not kept her word. Bondi is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in February.
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