Six women who say they were trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell came forward in Washington, D.C., with a powerful, unified appeal: release more federal files connected to Epstein\u2019s decades-long crimes and hold accountable those who enabled him. But their appearance, organized in part by NBC News, also carried an unexpected twist \u2014 the women refused to endorse unverified claims tying former President Donald Trump to Epstein, a move that undercut the media narrative some outlets had hoped to build.<\/p>\n
The Survivors Speak
\nThe women \u2014 Jess Michaels, Wendy Avis, Marijke Chartouni, Jena-Lisa Jones, Lisa Phillips, and Liz Stein \u2014 stood together at a panel discussion that also included relatives of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein\u2019s most high-profile accusers. Giuffre, who had been a central figure in exposing Epstein\u2019s trafficking network, died by suicide in April, a loss that still reverberates among survivors<\/p>\n
Each of the women described not only the personal toll of Epstein\u2019s abuse but also the systemic failures that allowed him to operate for so long despite repeated warnings and investigations.<\/p>\n
\u201cEpstein was a master manipulator,\u201d Michaels said, recalling how she was raped in 1991 when she was 22. \u201cThat was a strategy that was honed. No young woman, no teenage girl had a chance \u2014 not a chance against his psychopathic skills.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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