(NewsNation) — An attorney representing several victims of Jeffrey Epstein called Congress’ decision to approve a bill requiring the Justice Department to release all files related to its investigation momentous and powerful.
“I really hoped we would get here, but I wasn’t sure,” Jennifer Freeman told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo.
Freeman, who also represents Maria Farmer, the first survivor to report Epstein’s crimes, was on Capitol Hill on Tuesday seeing the vote go through, the culmination of a monthlong effort despite initial opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership.
The vote’s push gained momentum in July when a small bipartisan group of lawmakers filed a petition to sidestep House Speaker Mike Johnson and force a vote. At the time, the effort seemed unlikely to succeed, especially as Trump urged Republicans to dismiss the issue as a “hoax.” However, both Trump and Johnson ultimately failed to block the vote.
The political reverberations of Epstein’s case have intensified since he died in 2019, as more individuals have come forward alleging abuse. Attorney General Pam Bondi added intrigue to the matter earlier this year when she mentioned Epstein had a “client list,” which was deemed untrue by the DOJ.
Freeman said over time, dating back to when Farmer first reported to the FBI about Epstein nearly three decades ago, the case has been “one of the largest government and law enforcement failures in U.S. history.”
“The failure to release the files is part in parcel to that,” she acknowledged. “We’ve taken an important step in remedying that piece, but there’s much more to do for the government to be held accountable and responsible for their failures.”
Belief of FBI investigative reports in files: Freeman
Freeman speculates once the files are released, reports from the FBI about Epstein will come to light.
“It’s one of the most important items in there,” Freeman said. “I believe there are going to be some names, though I don’t know if they will be redacted. That’s one concern I have. The files will come out, but there will be very important holes in them.”
Freeman added that the Epstein case isn’t the usual situation for the government to handle.
“He was a very powerful man,” she said. “He made it very clear to many survivors he was very well connected, and there would be consequences if anything was leaked.”
I want no redactions, all the evidence out: Epstein’s ex-lawyer
Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s former lawyer, says he wants no redactions if the files are released because of how Maria Farmer painted him and Epstein.
“She should not be believed,” he said. “She is a liar. She lied about me. She lied about other people. It would take you two minutes to destroy her in cross-examination.”
Dershowitz’s support of releasing all the files he believes will allow “the accusers to tell their story, and the people who are accused have the opportunity to disprove their story.”
“I was a victim of a false accusation,” said Dershowitz. “I was able to disprove the falsity of my accusation. But I worry that if names are released of people who were accused without there being information released, that might cast doubt on the credibility of the accusers.”