1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Virginia Giuffre’s death, one of the bravest and most vocal and visible Epstein survivors. She refused to sit down, shut up, or go away. She demanded public accountability. And she succeeded, forcing powerful people to pay attention to survivors. Prince Andrew is no longer a prince. And other powerful men across the world have been shunned, fired, or watched their power diminish. The Epstein survivors have shown they will not go away. They forced Congress to pass a law that requires release to Congress of the Epstein Files. A release that has happened in an irresponsible, haphazard, incomplete, selective, and incomplete way and released with classic foot-dragging and obfuscation. The public pronouncements of DOJ concern for the victims and their privacy is a farce given the degree to which their personal info, and even photos, were released for the world to see. Trump is fighting a war in Iran, and there has been some suggestion it’s an effort to distract the public from the Epstein files. And from allegations that surfaced just before the war began that Trump, himself, had raped a 13-year-old girl. It does not appear that those allegations were ever fully investigated and the truth of that matter isn’t clear. Just as the files include mention of many other rich and powerful men, and their role is not clear: Were they participants? Witnesses? Were they aware of what was going on and failed to report it? Did they participate in a cover up? Much of the truth is in those files, but the DOJ’s new leader, Todd Blanche, has said he’s done releasing material. In early April, he told Fox News “And so I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward.” So calendar years, or regime change, determine the statute of limitations for our government to provide justice they promised Epstein victims? That’s outrageous! Is the DOJ just bored with all the unseemly actions by the powerful? Should everyone just get over it all, nothing more to see here? About 2.5 million documents are said to remain undisclosed. The documents that have been released are heavily redacted. And frequently obscure the identity of perpetrators. Why obscure those identities and reveal victims’ identities?!?! And there has been reporting suggesting that approximately 30 pages of documents regarding the allegations about Trump and a minor girl have not been released. We also read and hear that Trump, himself, told the DOJ not to release files that “would hurt (his) friends.” This last week DOJ’s Inspector General Office announced that it would begin an investigation into whether DOJ is in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Their stated role: “The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is a statutorily created independent entity that detects and deters waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct in the DOJ, and promotes economy and efficiency in the Department’s operations. The Inspector General, who is appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation, reports to the Attorney General and Congress.” Nice words. But we hear lots of words that ultimately say nothing. Do nothing. So it will remain to be seen if this is simply another instance of the fox guarding the henhouse. Epstein survivors’ persistence is the only thing that has brought any semblance of justice for themselves. They were repeatedly ignored through the years when they went to law enforcement. And treated as though they themselves were at fault. What has become clear with the release of the files is that very powerful men, and even some women, in this country and in other countries, were involved in or at least complicit in concealing a ring that trafficked young girls internationally. What will you do to insure efforts for accountability and justice? Actions. Not words. It’s time for all of the information in those files come to light!