Several House Democrats are inviting survivors of Jeffrey Epstein to attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night, using their guest seats to spotlight demands for accountability in the long-running sex trafficking case.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he will bring Haley Robson, who has said she was trafficked by Epstein beginning when she was 16. Khanna pushed legislation that forced the Justice Department to begin releasing a massive trove of Epstein-related records.
"Haley's courageous fight is proof that this isn't about politics, it's about exposing America's two-tiered system of justice and bringing accountability to the Epstein class involved in the horrific abuse of young girls," Khanna said in a statement.
"She and her fellow survivors' bravery was the catalyst for changing a rotten system and finally standing up for humanity and American values."
Robson said in a statement that she is "honored and it came as a wonderful surprise to have been invited."
The invitations come as the Trump administration faces criticism from some survivors and their advocates over the pace and scope of disclosures under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law in November and has prompted the release of millions of pages with redactions.
Some Epstein survivors have criticized the administration's handling of the case and the release of documents, accusing the Justice Department of failing to adequately pursue potential accomplices while keeping some names redacted, while others have said the department violated their rights and the law by not redacting all victims' names.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with ties to prominent figures, died in a New York federal jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted in federal court and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Lawmakers traditionally use State of the Union guests to make political statements, and this year's guest lists also reflect fights over immigration enforcement and fraud investigations.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is inviting constituents affected by the administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, while Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., is bringing a conservative influencer who has reported on alleged fraud involving Somali immigrants in his state.
Trump has invited the U.S. men's and women's gold medal hockey teams, though a spokesperson said the women's team will not attend. The men told the president over the phone amid the locker room celebration that they want to come.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, will bring Sky and Amanda Roberts, relatives of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., is inviting New Mexico state Rep. Andrea Romero, who has launched an investigation into Epstein's activities at his sprawling Zorro Ranch estate in New Mexico.
"He was basically doing anything he wanted in this state without any accountability whatsoever," Romero said last week, adding there's no record of federal law enforcement ever searching the 7,600-acre property.
Some Democrats are skipping the address but sending survivors in their place. One is Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., who said she would meet with constituents during the speech and asked survivor Lisa Phillips to attend for her.
"I'm inviting Lisa Phillips, one of the many brave women who survived Epstein's abuse, to attend the State of the Union on my behalf," Dexter said in a statement.
"Her presence will send a clear message: Epstein survivors will not be silenced. The powerful will not be protected. Our government will be accountable to the people it serves."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said survivor Marijke Chartouni, a constituent, would attend in her place.
"Thirty years after the FBI first ignored reports of Epstein's crimes, Pam Bondi's Justice Department continues to fiddle rather than hold perpetrators to account — even as other countries act decisively," Chartouni said in a statement released by Jayapal's office.
"This injustice cannot be buried, and we will continue to make our voices heard, at every opportunity, until there is truth and accountability for every survivor of Epstein and his ring."
Several lawmakers, including Raskin, Jayapal, and Stansbury, said they plan to hold a press conference with survivors ahead of the address.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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